Paris is a State of Mind
by CassyR5
Summary: "Yeah...we have a lot to talk about." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon. Complete.
1. Chapter 1: I'll Fly You to Paris

**Summary: When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: I keep trying to write other things when, really, I should've been focusing on this. And if you started reading this story back when I first wrote it at the end of 2012 - then called France & Friends - I am so sorry for taking forever to update. Okay, it's not much of an update right now since I pretty much rewrote what I originally had, but still. Here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally, or "What Do I Have To Do" by R5, which is what this chapter title is from.**

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Paris, France. Even hearing its name makes me smile. The beauty of the language, the simplicity of the food, the gorgeousness of the city; I could go on and on. It's just all so fascinating. Luckily for me, that's exactly where I'm going to be for an entire month, thanks to a class trip. It's part of my French class, and I've been raving about it since I knew I could go. The only downside is that I won't know anybody on the trip, as my best friend didn't take the class that would allow her to. Plus, I'm pretty quiet and school-oriented, so making friends has never been my biggest priority. But that's okay. I'm not going to hang out and have fun with friends (although I'm pretty sure I'll have _loads_ of fun; it _is_ Paris after all). The language, culture, and architecture is what I'm interested in. And I'll get to spend an entire month devoting my time to just that.

The day of the trip, my dad and Trish accompany me to the airport. We hug and say our goodbyes.

"Are you sure you have everything?" my dad asks me for what's probably the seventh time this morning.

I nod. "Yes, Dad, I have everything," I say.

"Your passport?"

"Yes."

"Your money?"

"Yes."

"Did you bring all the clothes you'll need?"

"Yes! Dad, I'll be fine. I promise."

He smiles. "I know, honey. I'm just making sure you're all ready."

I smile. "I think I am." I hug him again. "Oh, and remember, _don't_ let Trish feed Owen. I'd rather not come home to bird food in my socks and pillows _again_," I whisper.

He nods. "Got it," he says.

I pull back to hug Trish again. "I'm going to miss you," she says.

"I'm going to miss you, too," I say.

She smiles, pulling back. "Oh, and don't forget to look out for some cute French guys while you're there. I'd appreciate someone's number," she adds.

I laugh, shaking my head at her. "Will do," I reply.

I say one last goodbye, then wave and head off to find the rest of the group. Once I do, Ms. Cromwell, our teacher supervisor, walks up to me and hands me my ticket, then tells me to wait until departure. I'm not the first person to show up, but it's a good chunk of time until everyone is here and ready to leave. I quickly get on the plane and find my seat by the window. The seat beside it is empty, but probably not for long, so after throwing my extra carry-on bag on the rack, I sit and wait, hoping the person to fill it will be someone I can maybe talk to because, even though I did say this trip is not for making friends, it would be a little nice to have someone I can exchange friendly conversation with. I may be a little shy, but I don't mind talking.

It doesn't take long for the plane to fill up, and still there's no one sitting next to me. I'm starting to think that whoever was supposed to sit here is going to miss the plane when one more person gets on and heads in my direction. I'm thinking of saying hi to them when they come closer and I get better look at who it is, and I'm suddenly hoping that I'll be lucky enough to sit alone.

Unfortunately, my luck isn't that great, and suddenly the seat next to me becomes occupied with none other than Austin Moon. And I can tell by the brief glimpse I get from him that he's not entirely pleased either.

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**So that's the first chapter. It's really short, I know. It'll get better, trust me. I'll probably upload the next couple chapters daily since that's what I'd originally had uploaded before, and then probably once a week after that (and I can promise this because the story's pretty well done now). So yeah.**

**Review, maybe? :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Where The Fun Begins

**Summary: When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: So I realized that after I uploaded the story yesterday, you couldn't see the chapter title since there was only one. But I think you can see it now? Idk how this works, I've never really done this before. Oh, and credit to Normah (NormahR5 on Twitter) for making the story's cover. You're seriously the best. Anyways. Here's chapter 2.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally, or the song "Steal Your Heart" by Ross Lynch, what the chapter title is from.**

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Austin Moon. He's someone most would consider the 'it' boy of Marino High. He's captain on nearly all the sports teams, isn't all that into school (this is seen as a positive to most because not a lot of the people at our school like education), and of course, is admired and adored by all. Correction - almost all, with 'almost' being me. And he knows it, too. Ever since we were in grade three we've had this ongoing resentment towards each other. For some reason he couldn't take being beaten at a sport by a little girl, and so he decided it was alright to take his anger out on me for the few years following.

I turn in my seat and face the window, hoping this is the first and last time I'll have to be around him this trip. Then Ms. Cromwell announces to the class about the partnerships.

"Each of you take a good look at the person you're sitting next to," she says. I glance at Austin, who doesn't do the same, but instead has his head down and is looking at his phone screen. Ms. Cromwell continues. "This person will be your partner for the entire trip, so make sure to stay with them at all times and keep each other in check."

I gape at this, turning back to the window when I see Austin lifting his head in confusion.

_Partner_? I have to be his _partner_? There has to be some mistake. My luck can't possibly be this bad.

"Did she just say what I think she said?" I hear Austin say beside me. I look at him. "I have to be your partner?"

"Unfortunately," I reply bitterly. He looks at me wide-eyed in shock for a second, trying to comprehend what is happening, then turns back to his phone again - hopefully preparing to turn it off as the plane is going to take off shortly and electronics can't be on. Just as I think this, the pilot announces the same thing, and I watch as Austin grumpily shoves his phone in his pocket. Only 5 minutes later, I feel the plane take off.

I turn back to my window, grabbing a novel and my iPod when I hear that electronics can be used again. Turning on my music, I read until I get too tired and decide to fall asleep for the rest of the trip, leaning against the outside wall as comfortably as I can.

* * *

Someone gives my shoulder a shove and I jolt awake. At first I think it's my dad telling me I'll be late for school if I don't get up soon, but then I realize I'm on the plane to Paris and the person waking me up is Austin.

Oh. So that _wasn't_ part of a nightmare.

He looks at me without expression. "The plane's landing soon. Thought you'd wanna know," he explains, then turns away.

"Thanks," I mutter, sitting up in a more comfortable position and readying my things for when we land.

When the plane lands and we're allowed to get off, Austin is the first one up and out of his seat, not even bothering to look back and wait for me. I get up, then walk out into the aisle and reach up to grab my bag that I threw on the rack when I first got on. Unfortunately, I threw it a little too far out of my reach, and my fingertips only just graze it when I try to jump up for it. I'm about to ask for help when suddenly someone reaches over my shoulder and takes it down. I turn to see Austin holding my bag, despite the fact I thought he was the first one off the plane.

I take it from him. "Thanks," I mutter quietly, then step past him and walk to the exit, ignoring the questioning look I feel him giving me from behind. My mind is only set on seeing Paris.

I step off the plane, then gasp. Even though we're only at the airport, the view is already fantastic. The Eiffel Tower, the Arch, everything. I hear Austin stand beside me. He gives a small gasp, too, but it's so quiet I don't think he intended for anyone to hear him. I turn to look at him, and can see the same admiration in his eyes that I still feel in mine. He looks over at me and - smiles. He smiles at me. It's like one of those smiles where you both are sharing the same thought and you both know it, and you just smile about it, sometimes pairing it with a small chuckle. And you know what? I smile back.

"Alright, class, listen up!" Ms. Cromwell says. She pulls out a folder from her bag and opens it, pulling out a small stack of papers. As she begins passing them around, she goes over the rules of the trip once again. I don't bother listening, as I'd memorized them over the past two weeks she'd been repeating them to us. I just stare out at the view, anxious to get a head start at the trip and explore. Of course, because of the fact I know the rules, I realize that I can't just ditch the group and wander off. I have to follow the schedule and stay with my partner.

And suddenly ditching the group doesn't sound so horrible. I'm not going to do that, obviously, but still. I'm really starting to think this trip isn't going to be as amazing as I was hoping it would be now that I know I have to spend it with someone I dislike.

Speaking of Austin...how did he get on this trip, anyway? I never really pegged him as someone who cared about school or learning and, well, there's a lot of learning that came with being able to go on this trip. I'm not saying he's dumb or anything, it's just he's also not exactly the smartest person I know, either. I mean, he just seems like a slacker in class, never doing his work and always ignoring the teachers. I get that school isn't an average teenagers number one priority, but still. Most of the kids on this trip seem like they at can at least put up with school - Austin basically flaunts the fact that he can't even stand it half the time. I'm just hoping it's the other half that he brought with him on this trip.

I turn my attention to Ms. Cromwell just in time for the papers to reach Austin and I. He takes a couple, holding one out to me. I take it and look over it - a basic outline of the trip, with the places we'll be visiting and things we'll be doing listed on it. And if we get everything done in record time, we may just have a day or two of freedom for ourselves - well, along with our partner, _of course_.Austin barely reads over his before folding it up and shoving it in his back pocket. Then he leans over to me.

"We don't really need to listen to this, do we?" he asks. "I mean, she's gone over it at least 50 times in the past two weeks."

So that answers _that_ question.

I lean back and glare at him. "No, you probably don't _need_ to listen to her, but I'm trying to," I snap, then turn my attention to Ms. Cromwell again. I only get to hear about three seconds of her instructions when Austin leans over again.

"What's the point of the schedule, anyway? All the good stuff isn't until near the end, and even then it's not like we're spending a long time there. It'd make more sense to just walk around on our own and meet back at the hotel at curfew."

I look at him, slightly appalled at this suggestion, mainly because it confirms my suspicions about him, which is not a good thing.

"You mean ditch the group? Uh, no thanks," I say, "but unlike you, I actually came on this trip to follow what's assigned to us, not wander around. I don't feel like taking the next plane ride home because I broke a simple rule." I switch my attention away from Austin and onto Ms. Cromwell again.

He stands up straight. "Oh, come on, you don't have to be so uptight about it," he says. I continue to ignore him, keeping my gaze on the teacher. "Look, I've seen you in class. All you do is work. I think you should learn to have some fun."

Fun? Who is he to suggest that I don't know how to have fun? Other than school and working in my dad's music store, Sonic Boom, I have tons of fun. I mean, yes, it's mostly just reading and writing music, but still. I think that stuff is fun. He just doesn't get it.

Instead of telling him this, though, I stand up straighter, crossing my arms in the process. I can tell he wants to keep arguing, but gives up with a loud sigh.

Honestly, I don't get why he doesn't just ask one of his friends to ditch with him. Better yet, why doesn't he ask for a new partner? If he thinks he knows me so well, he shouldn't have even bothered asking me to ditch. At least with a friend he wouldn't have to worry about them saying no.

After Ms. Cromwell finishes explaining, we head onto our tour bus that will take us to our hotel and around the city all month. Again, I'm forced to sit by Austin. We don't speak. Once we get to the hotel, we are quickly ushered to our rooms, as Paris is 6 hours ahead of us, and the flight was over 8 hours long.

Jet lag is going to be a bit of a problem for the next few days, especially for the kids who tend to stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning. I, however, have been planning for this, and so my sleeping patterns shouldn't be too effected. They won't be perfect, but I know I can adjust. Just like I'm going to have to adjust to my partner. Of course, that is one adjustment I'm not looking forward to. I haven't even spent 24 hours with the guy and he's already annoyed me in some way. Putting up with him may take a little more effort than I have.

We don't get much of a chance to admire the place. It's very late here, so most people are sleeping. My room is on the top floor, so I am one of the last to leave the elevator. As soon as I walk into my room, I drop my bags and flop onto the bed, realizing that I'm actually tired for once, and fall right asleep.

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**So there's chapter 2. Again, kinda short, kinda not-quite exciting. But it'll get there.**

**Reviews are nice.**


	3. Chapter 3: I Don't Know Who You Are

**Summary: "Who says I still hate you?" When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: Before I continue, I just wanna make one thing clear - I will not be doing any more daily updates. When I first wrote this, I had the first two chapters up before stopping, so I just wanted to have what I originally had up before continuing. I think I already said this, but...just a reminder, I guess. So yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne.**

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I wake up to the sound of someone banging on my door. It's Ms. Cromwell. I can tell by the muffled yet understandable voice I hear coming from the hallway.

I sit up, taking in my surroundings. I'm in a small yet cozy room, fit for one person. The window to my left is open and glowing from the morning sun, splashing into my room and brightening up the already light blue walls. In the far corner, there's an open closet, with only a few hangers, and beside that a chair. The opposite corner is the hotel bathroom I'll have to use for this month. The door is open, and though I haven't gone inside yet, I can see from here that it looks nice and clean, yet cheap and empty all at once. I don't think Ms. Cromwell really splurged when it came to picking the hotel. I guess that makes sense, considering we're only here to sleep, or in case of heavy rain. There's also a small table on the right of my bed, holding a fair sized lamp and a phone. The final thing I notice is the door I walked through on my right, and the double bed I'm lying on - and the fact I fell asleep in my clothes!

I really hope this place has laundry service, because we're here for a whole month and what if I want to wear this shirt again? What will I do then?

I should be okay. The only thing I need to worry about is the time. Speaking of... I pick up my phone and look at the clock. 1:30? AM? Wait. That's the time in Miami, not Paris. So if it's 6 hours ahead here, then it must be...7:30. Wait, 7:30? We have to leave at 8!

I jump up, quickly grabbing my carelessly placed bags off the ground and setting them on the bed, rummaging through their contents until I find something to wear. After changing, I grab my purse and my phone and head out - but not before changing the time on my phone.

In the hall, many kids are just stepping out of their rooms. We all must've just got up, by the looks of it. I head to the elevator, and once just about everyone on the floor is piled in, we head down to the lobby, where we're to meet up with our partners and the rest of the group.

Right. Partners. I'd almost completely forgotten about that. And the fact that mine is Austin Moon. Great.

We finally reach the lobby, and there everyone splits up to find their partners. I step out last, searching for Austin. So far, I'm not seeing him. The more I look, the less hopeful I become that he showed up. Then my hopelessness turns around once I realize that no Austin is a good thing, not a bad thing. Maybe I can join up with another pair today. Or better yet, work alone.

I'm about to just give up completely as I turn around to sit down when the elevator opens and he steps out. I'm surprised at how relived I am to see him, but I decide to ignore the feeling and walk towards him. He heads in my direction, though probably not directly towards me. Shockingly, he stops in front me, shouldering his backpack.

"Ready to go, _partner_?" he mutters bitterly.

My relief dissipates quickly, and a frown forms on my face. I sigh, then turn away from him and head back towards where Ms. Cromwell has gathered the class. I stop at the edge of the group and cross my arms, listening to her as she goes over today's plan. First, we're heading to a small place for breakfast, then a museum, a different restaurant for lunch, then back to the hotel until supper.

We go to our tour bus outside of the hotel and get in, driving off to the French restaurant I can't remember the name of for breakfast. Austin and I sit quietly beside each other. I pull out my iPod like last time, and press play. "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne starts playing.

_Won't you take me by the hand?_  
_Take me somewhere new_  
_I don't know who you are_  
_But I... I'm with you_  
_I'm with you_

I look over at Austin. The line "I don't know who you are" replays in my head. I realize that even though I know _of_ Austin, I don't really know who he is. All I know are the things I've heard and witnessed on this trip. So far, neither are really helping his case. All the rumors make him sound like a complete player, and what he told me yesterday makes him look like the slacker I thought he was, too. But is that who he _really_ is? Maybe he was just playing around yesterday to test me. And maybe the rumors were just that - rumors. Spread by his seemingly infinite amount of ex-girlfriends (but most likely just the ones who _wish_ to be his girlfriend).

The bus jerks to a stop, and I'm pulled out of my thoughts. The first thing I'm faced with is Austin - and, to my disappointment, he's facing me, too.

I'm hoping it's to tell me that we've arrived at the restaurant, but I can tell from his expression and the surroundings that we're not there yet. I quickly look down, turning up the volume on my iPod in hopes of drowning out anything he might say to me. I look up after a good chunk of time to see him looking in the other direction. I sigh inwardly, turning to face the window on my left.

How long was he looking at me? Or worse, how long was I looking at _him_? And for how much of that did he notice? Was I looking at him for a minute, but he only saw half? Or was it longer?

_Does it even matter? _my conscience tells me. I ponder over this question again. Why _does_ it matter? So he caught me looking his way, so what? For all I know, he thinks I was looking at something behind him. Or maybe - _just_ maybe - he was looking at me the way I was looking at him. But, no, why would that be?

Confused, I ignore the situation, and focus on my music, which has changed songs. I stay listening contentedly until the bus jerks to a stop and I hear Ms. Cromwell at the front, giving basic instructions on how to behave and order in a French restaurant. I pull out my earbud to listen, but I don't know why she's bothering to explain. It's 8 AM; most kids on the bus are sleeping - well, half asleep now, sitting up slowly and gathering their things for departure. I wouldn't be surprised if most don't even know she's speaking. Kind of depressing, I know, but that's an average teenager.

After she finishes speaking, we're allowed off the bus, and walk into the restaurant. It's not very fancy like most restaurants we'll be going to later, but more like the average McDonald's I'd see back home. We aren't forced to sit with our partners, so once I get my order, I sit at a table alone, not expecting anyone to join me. Not even a minute later, I'm accompanied by someone, and of course, as always, it's by Austin.

"Um..." I say, confused.

He looks up, but continues to eat his food. "What?" he asks.

I give him a confused look. "Not to sound rude or anything, but, uh, why are you sitting with me?"

He shrugs. "Why not?"

"Maybe because we don't like each other?" I say slowly.

"Who said that?" he asks.

"Um, we did?"

"Now, why would we say that?"

"You're joking, right?" When he slowly shakes his head, I continue. "Remember? In grade 3, I beat you at a game of soccer, and because you're a sore loser you thought it'd be funny to push me while we were sitting on top of the monkey bars!"

He stops eating to point his fork at me. "That's not how I remember that going. You cheated, and so to teach you a lesson, I pushed you when you brought it up again. I figured we were even after that." He pauses. "Besides, it's not like you fell off, just upside down."

"Okay, first of all, I was wearing a dress, so falling off wouldn't have been even _half_ as embarrassing. Second, I wasn't finished yet. And third, you only did that because I _beat_ you?"

"No, I did it because you cheated, and then rubbed it in my face that you won."

"How does someone even cheat at soccer? I beat you -"

"Cheated," he interjects.

"- fair and square!"

"So you were saying you weren't finished yet?"

I nod. "Right. The next year in grade 4, you cut a chunk of my hair off when head lice was going around the school."

"I was making sure you wouldn't get it," he says defensively, but only half-heartedly.

"You took two inches off the back of my hair in no particular spot. And it was crooked."

He shrugs. "So I wasn't good with scissors."

I ignore his comment and continue. "And then in grade 5, when our class took a trip to the beach, you dumped a bucket of water on my head."

"I was only fooling around. Besides, it's the beach. You're supposed to get soaked."

"I was still in my clothes. _And_ there was a ton of sand in it."

"I didn't know that."

"Yes, but - never mind."

He sighs. "Okay, okay, so maybe I picked on you once in a while when we were little. But that's just it. We were only little kids."

"Well, what about in grade 6 when you ruined my performance by messing up the music and making me sound terrible?"

"Hey, I wasn't alone on that. Dez did most of the work. I just provided the idea," he says, as if that explains everything and should therefore put a stop to our feud.

"Okay, but that doesn't stop me from disliking you," I say, crossing my arms.

He just shrugs. "Whatever."

"Wait," I say, leaning forward. He looks up again. "You know why I don't like you, but how come you don't like me? I know you think I cheated or whatever, but that was in grade three. Shouldn't you be over it by now?"

"Look who's talking," he mutters.

"I have a legitimate reason for holding a grudge, okay?" I retort.

"Oh, really? And what reason is that?"

"I - it's none of your business," I say. I continue to wait for his answer, but when he doesn't say anything, I speak up. "Well? What did I do?"

"Huh? Oh," he says. He pokes at his pancakes for a second before speaking. "Who says I still hate you?"

I sit up, because that is not the response I was expecting. Then I lean back again. "Then why did you get so mad when you found out we had to be partners?"

"I told you - you don't know how to have fun. I didn't want to spend the entire trip in Paris hanging around someone who isn't fun," he explains.

I gasp. "I can have fun! You just don't know me."

"Sure, that's it," he replies sarcastically.

I scoff. "Whatever," I say, then decide to ignore him and eat my breakfast. I have a feeling this is going to be a _long_ day, and not in any way good.

* * *

"Bienvenue sur le Musée des Années Trente **[Welcome to the Museum of the Thirties]**," the tour guide says. "Merci de votre visite. J'espère que vous apprécierez votre temps ici **[Thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoy your time here]**."

Shockingly, breakfast went along fine the rest of the time there. Austin didn't attempt to make conversation again, but it also wasn't as...weird as I'd thought it would be. If I'm being honest, it was actually kind of nice, in a weird, quietly-eating-breakfast-next-to-someone-I-always-thought-of-as-an-enemy kind of way. Maybe I was right before about him. Maybe the rumors are really just that.

"So, how much longer until we can leave this snooze-fest?"

Or maybe not.

I turn and face him. "You know, it's actually not that bad. Have you even looked at anything other than your phone since we got here?" I asked, pointing to the aforementioned item sitting in his hand.

He quickly shoves it in his pocket. "Maybe," he says.

I give him a 'really' look, as we both know how terrible of a lie that was.

He sighs. "Well, what do you expect? There's nothing interesting here. It's just a bunch of boring history on old things no one cares about anymore."

"Uh, the things here are not boring," I argue. "And besides, we just got here. Almost literally. Maybe you should wait until we've at least looked around a little bit before starting to complain?"

"Whatever. I still find it boring here," he says. Before I can respond, he pulls out his cellphone and walks off somewhere.

So much for keeping track of my partner.

* * *

The rest of the day drones on pretty slow. Austin usually has his cellphone out, until Ms. Cromwell finally confiscates it. He even has the nerve to try and take mine from me when I pull it out to check the time! Luckily, I'm not caught, but still. The hotel is pretty quiet, too, for the hour or so that we stay until supper. I decide go exploring a bit. I discover that it has 5 floors, not too many residents at the moment other than our group, a second lobby with a grand piano in the back, and a pool outside. I suspect there may be an attic, because I find a locked down the hall from my room, and I can see a hint of a staircase through the crack between the door and its frame. As bad as it is to snoop, I wouldn't mind checking it out one day.

Supper is nice. We eat at a fancier place than where we went for lunch. I'm 'forced' - though I think he just chooses again - to sit with Austin, but he doesn't say a single word to me. I wonder why he doesn't just sit with his friends. He seems so willing to shout across the classroom to them back at home. Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen him talk to anybody on this trip besides me.

Once back at the hotel after supper, I take a quick shower, organize my items for the stay, and go to bed, preparing myself for what tomorrow will bring - and hoping it will be better than how the start of the trip is going so far.

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**So that was longer than I thought it was. But yeah.**

**Reviews are pretty awesome.**


	4. Chapter 4: I Just Wanna Know You Better

**Summary: "I don't care what my friends think of me." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: Almost forgot I had to upload today, whoops. But here it is! Chapter 4.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or "Everything Has Changed" by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran (chapter title).**

* * *

I really need to lower my expectations on this trip.

The second day there is basically as thrilling as the first, but we get to go through a couple gift shops the museums have. So far, the only souvenir I have of this trip is a cheap bracelet.

The next few days are just as bad. On the third day, Austin gets his phone taken away again, but thankfully he doesn't try and take mine; on the fourth day it rains, so we're forced to stay at the hotel. I try checking out the room that's locked, but I can't seem to be able to get in. The fifth day is pretty boring, as well. Austin doesn't even bother showing up, so I'm alone, and when it comes to group activities, I can't do anything except watch - which is really surprising, in a way, as I'm pretty sure I'd do better on the activities _without_ my partner. I even try asking Ms. Cromwell about switching partners, but she only tells me she set up the partnerships the way she did for a specific reason, and that I'm just going to have to put up with it.

Finally, on the sixth day, we get to do something better.

It's a Saturday, which means we get to have a little more freedom. It's not a full day of wandering around like the ones we'll get at the end of the trip if we have time, but we get an hour or so to ourselves - well, ourselves along with our partner. So, after our lunch break, I decide to do a bit of window-shopping.

Though I guess it's not entirely window-shopping, considering I have a fair amount of money from working shifts at Sonic Boom, but I'm not really planning on buying anything until later, in case I see something I want more than what I may want now.

It's a bit difficult trying to window-shop and keep track of a partner who seems to be interested in doing anything _but_ that. Austin constantly gets side-tracked by food or clothes or a random souvenir. Finally, after dealing with this for almost half an hour, I give in and let him drag me into a small bakery.

Once we step in, the aroma of fresh baked breads and fancy pastries hits me instantly. I inhale deeply, taking in the great smell, until I find myself sitting down, thanks to Austin hastily shoving me in a seat.

"This place smells amazing!" I say, more to myself than Austin. He just chuckles.

"I'm going to go order," he says, getting up. "Is there anything you want?"

"I can order for myself," I say, starting to stand up.

"Ally, this place is packed. Someone should stay at the table," he explains.

I sit back down, realizing his point. "Oh. Um, I guess I'll just get a blueberry muffin," I say. He shrugs and heads for the line. I decide to take in my surroundings, which is a little hard to do considering, like Austin pointed out, the place is packed. It's not very big, like I said, and the sitting area is very little so we're pretty lucky to find a spare seat, but I guess most people just buy something and leave after. The walls are a beige colour, with paintings of bread and cakes hanging on them, and the only windows are the ones at the front of the store. The counter is to the right of the store, and I really want to get a glimpse of the food displayed there, but there's too many people in the way, so I don't bother.

Finally, after almost 10 minutes, Austin comes back with our food. He hands me my blueberry muffin, then sits down and starts to eat what looks like a donut.

I take my food, then go to pull out my wallet. Austin must know what I'm doing because he stops me, saying, "You don't have to pay me back. It wasn't that much money, anyway."

I drop my wallet back into my purse and set it down. "Oh. Thanks."

We eat quietly for a while before Austin decides to speak up. "So what made you decide you wanted to come to Paris?"

I glance up from my muffin. I take a minute to answer because, other than being slightly shocked he's actually attempting to make conversation, I honestly don't know what to say. "Other than the fact it's Paris?" I ask. I shrug. "I don't really know, to be honest. There's just so much to see here, so much to learn about."

He nods. "I kinda figured you'd enjoy the learning part," he responds, and I swear I almost hear him laugh a little to himself about how predictable I seem to him.

I lean back in my chair. "Okay. What about you? Why did you want to go to Paris? In fact, how did you even get here? No offence or anything, but you just don't seem..." I stop, trying to think of the right word to describe it without being too insulting.

"Smart enough?" he responds.

"I...no, that's not what I -" I start.

"It's fine," he says. "You wouldn't be the first to think so." I can almost hear something like disappointment in his voice, as if he was hoping I might've been different from the rest. And as much as I want to reassure him that I'm not - because for some reason, hearing him sound upset thanks to me isn't something I like - I can't.

I sigh. "I'm sorry," I say. "I didn't mean it like that."

He actually laughs at this.

"What?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Nothing," he says. He pauses for a moment before continuing. "It's just that I didn't really expect you of all people to feel sorry for me."

"Oh," I say, because, to be honest, I'm kind of surprised myself. "Yeah, I guess that is weird."

I wait a minute before speaking again. "But in all honesty, how _did_ you get on this trip? I mean, you would've had to take academic French, and I'm not saying you're not smart enough to take it, it's just that I sort of thought that...well, that you wouldn't want your friends to think of you as some school nerd," I say. "You know, like you have some sort of 'reputation' you want to keep."

He laughs again at my rambling. "Uh, well, I should probably tell you that I don't really care what my friends think. I mean, they were kind of jerks at the beginning when they heard I was taking 'smart classes', but once they figured out I would be able to go to Paris, they shut up," he says, making air quotes around the words 'smart classes'.

"Oh," I say. "So you _don't_ care what people think of you?"

He shakes his head. "Nope," he answers, leaning back in his chair. "If I did, I think it would get in the way too much."

I look at him confused. "Get in the way? What do you mean?"

He opens his mouth to respond, then shuts it again, reconsidering what to say, or if he wants to say anything at all.

He shakes his head. "Never mind. It's nothing."

I'm about to reply and ask again because part of me is curious as to what would make him stop caring, but then I stop myself. Why do I care? I know we're partners on this trip and all, and getting to know each other even a little is probably a good thing, but if he doesn't think I should know, then why should I bug him about it? It's pointless.

I finish my muffin the same time he stands up, his donut done minutes before. "We should probably get back to the group now," he says.

I stand up. "Yeah," I say, then follow him out the bakery and to the group's designated meeting area.

* * *

**So this was a lot shorter than I thought it was. But I guess that's okay. Chapter 5 is kinda long - at least, I think - and I'm pretty sure (hoping) you'll enjoy it.**

**Oh, and idk if anyone even really noticed, but I'm just gonna point out that idk the American schooling system (I live in Canada), so that's why she says academic French as opposed to whatever it is in the States. If it's the same, then I guess I'm good, but...yeah, I just wanted to point that out.**

**Reviews are pretty nice. :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Give A Little Time to Me

**Summary: "I had no idea you could sing like that." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: So, chapter 5. Speaking of 5, I get to meet R5 in 5 days when they play in London this Saturday, so that's cool. If you're going, too, you should tell me, cause that'd be pretty cool too, haha. Anyways.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran, both the chapter title and in the chapter (I suggest you listen to the song when it comes to that part of the chapter. Idk, I find it makes it seem better or something).**

* * *

Surprisingly, things are starting to look up on this trip.

Despite the fact Austin and I can't seem to end a conversation on a good note, at least we're talking. Of course, most of the time, it's just him complaining about how boring museums are and me telling him to be quiet, but there are some times when we have a legitimate conversation. I never bring up what he almost said at the bakery, though. Even though he seems okay, I don't think I should try to push it.

A week into the trip, Ms. Cromwell finally takes us to a place that's _not_ a museum (even I'm starting to get tired of them) - the Arc du Carrousel. It's not the Arc de Triomphe, but it's still a really interesting place. It isn't all that packed, so Ms. Cromwell allows us to wander around for a bit, providing we stay near the Arc. Once she's done speaking, Austin and I walk away from the group and to the front of the building.

"Hard to imagine this is only the _smallest_ of the arcs in Paris," Austin comments as we walk underneath.

I nod. "Yeah. This place makes me feel pretty short as it is," I say.

"No, I'm pretty sure you do that on your own," Austin replies. He makes it a point to hold a hand over my head, then moves it next to him, showing that I'm just barely above his shoulder.

I glare at him playfully. "Wow, so funny," I deadpan.

"Oh, come on, that can't be the first time someone's made a short joke about you," he says.

"Unfortunately, no, it isn't. And it's probably not the last either."

"I can make sure of that," he replies. I just shake my head at him.

Austin looks at the Louvre Pyramid through the Arc. "So, how come Ms. Cromwell is waiting until the third week to take us to the Louvre? I mean, it's right here," he says, pointing to it.

I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe she had to book the tour or something. Make sure the place would be vacant enough so we could all walk through ourselves," I suggest.

"Maybe," he says, but I can tell that neither of us really know or understand. We've been in Paris for only a week, and still Ms. Cromwell insists on taking us to a bunch of museums before we go to any of the good places. I mean, we can't even visit the Eiffel Tower until the last week of the trip! She must be taking the saying 'saving the best for last' a little too literally.

We walk under the Arc and in the direction of the Louvre, but stop once on the other side.

"Why can't we just go in there now?" Austin says. "I mean, I don't care much about learning, but it looks cooler than all the other museums we've been in."

I nod in agreement. "Yeah. As much as I like the learning part of this trip, I would really love a day of sight-seeing all the amazing things Paris has to offer."

Austin's quiet for a minute before responding. "So why don't we?" he says.

I look at him. "What?"

"Why don't we just go sight-seeing?"

I shake my head. "Austin, you know we can't. Ms. Cromwell -"

"I know, I know, you don't want to ditch the group. But remember what I said the day we got here? It'd just be so much easier to go to all the places _we_ want to rather than follow some stupid schedule," he explains. "You can't tell me you don't agree with me at least a little bit."

I don't answer, because the truth is, he does have a bit of a point. It would make more sense to just go where we want to. It'd be a little unorganized, but at least people would have fun. I mean, we're staying in Paris for a whole month, and Ms. C already took up the entire first week just touring through museums.

The thought of Ms. Cromwell brings me back to reality. I can't start thinking like that. Of course the schedule is important. No, it may not always be as fun and exciting as it could be, but like I said, she's probably just saving the best for last. There should be nothing wrong with that.

I give my head a shake, resting it in my hands. Austin's slowly starting to get to me, and that's definitely not something I want to happen.

"Ally?" Austin says.

"No," I state.

He looks at me confused - and maybe even a little concerned? "No, what?" he asks cautiously.

I face him. "No. I don't agree with you," I clarify. Then I walk back under the Arc and towards where the rest of the group is gathering. I don't wait to see if Austin is following me, but once everyone has gathered and is ready to leave for dinner, he manages to make his way next to me on the bus minutes before we leave.

* * *

We go to the fanciest restaurant of the trip yet tonight. It isn't too far from the Arc du Carrousel, so it doesn't take long to get there, and because Ms. C already reserved the place, we get in quickly. They've set up tables in a long row for us, so everyone is sitting together. Austin decides to sit across from me, which has become a usual occurrence.

Once everyone from the group is seated and has ordered their food, one of the waiters walks onto a small stage set at the front of the restaurant. He sets up a stool and microphone, and after testing the mic, begins speaking to everyone.

"Excusez -moi, s'il vu plaît **[Excuse me, please]**," he says. Once everyone's attention is on him - or as many as he can get - he continues, but in English. "If anyone is interested in singing here tonight, you are more than welcome to."

My smile grows at the thought of live entertainment. I love singing, but the idea of performing in front of so many people frightens me.

I turn to where Austin is supposed to be, but find he's no longer there. Confused, I look in the direction of the bathroom, thinking that's where he headed, but instead I hear him - from the direction of the stage. I look over and see him sitting on the stool, a guitar in his hand - he must've asked the worker if they had one. He leans down to the mic. "Uh, hi, everyone," he says. "I'm Austin Moon. I guess I'm gonna sing you guys a song. This is "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran."

I watch in surprise as he starts playing the intro of the song. I never knew Austin was into music. It seems unlikely for someone like him - or who I tend to think he is - to be into singing. It's weird to me that the one thing we might actually have in common is the one thing in life I could never live without.

His guitar playing skills sound really good, and I think it can't get much better than this. But then he starts singing.

_Give me love like her_  
_'Cause lately I've been waking up alone_  
_Pain splattered teardrops on my shirt_  
_Told you I'd let them go_

I'm taken aback at how amazing his voice sounds. It reminds me of the singers that I usually hear on the radio, but also different and unique at the same time. It already seems powerful enough that it could fill an entire room, and the song has only just started.

_Give a little time to me or burn this out_  
_We'll play hide and seek to turn this around_  
_All I want is the taste that your lips allow_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, give me love_

I can't help but be mesmerized by the way he's able to grasp the attention of everyone in the room with just his voice and a guitar. He's that good. Part of me wants to hate admitting this, but I find myself okay with thinking that maybe I really am wrong about who he is. Yeah, he may be a bit stubborn and act a little careless at times, but watching him perform shows me once again that there may be so much more to this guy that I don't know - and to be honest, I wouldn't mind finding out what that is.

_You know I'll fight my corner_  
_And that tonight I'll call ya_  
_After my blood is drowning in alcohol_  
_No, I just wanna hold ya_

As he continues playing the song, more than once I notice him look in my direction. Part of me thinks that he may be a little nervous, but his stage presence tells me that this is not the first time he's sang in front of an audience. He looks comfortable performing, like it's a second home to him and he's there every day of his life.

_M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover_  
_M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover_  
_M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover_

Nearing the end of the song, the audience starts clapping along like in the original song, some even singing with him, and I find myself being one of the first to join in.

_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_  
_My, my, my, my, oh give me love_

Once he finishes, everyone in the restaurant stands up to cheer for him, me included. He stands and takes a bow, laughing in the process, and I can tell that he looks a little blown away by the reaction he's getting. A worker then comes up to take the guitar, which Austin hands over, and then he gets off the stage and heads back to his seat. A few people from the class congratulate him on the reaction or tell him how great of a performance that was, and his smile never wavers as he thanks everyone that says so. It starts to dawn on me that maybe this is what Austin was thinking caring would get in the way of. Eventually the excitement dies down and the food arrives, but instead of starting to eat, Austin looks at me.

I speak before he gets the chance. "So is that what you meant yesterday? About how caring would get in the way?" I ask.

He seems taken aback at how forward I'm being, but nods anyway. "Yeah. My friends aren't really big on the whole music thing - at least, not the kind I like."

"Oh," I say.

He thinks for a minute before speaking again. "So," he starts, "what'd you think?"

I open my mouth to respond, but I can't think of the right thing to say. "I'm speechless," is the first thing I come up with. "That was...incredible. I had no idea you could sing like that."

He looks down. "Yeah. I love singing, but my parents want me to wait until after I'm done with school to try and make it into the music business. So I just play whenever opportunity strikes." He pauses. "Besides, all I can do is cover what someone else already sang. I can't write anything new."

"_All_ you can do is cover? That doesn't sound so bad to me. At least you can get up on stage and perform. Just the _thought_ of singing in front of a crowd terrifies me," I say.

"Wait, you sing, too?" he asks. I nod in response. "Do you play anything?"

"Mostly piano," I say. "My dad owns the music store in Miami, so I've sort of grown up on it. It's kind of my life."

He leans back in thought, then leans forward again. "How is it possible that the one thing we have in common -"

"- is the one thing I could never live without, I know," I finish. "I'm shocked, too."

He looks down at the table again and, realizing there's food in front of him, begins to play around with it with his fork, but not eating anything. He then stops and points the fork at me, opening his mouth to say something, but then closes it and shakes his head.

"What?" I ask tentatively.

"Nothing, it's stupid," he says.

"So? I thought you didn't care what people thought of you," I remind him.

"Why did I tell you that?" he asks, more to himself than me. He sighs. "Fine. I was just going to ask if you knew how to write songs, that's all."

"That's not a stupid question," I say. "And actually, yeah, I do. Why?"

He looks up at me, and I think my answer may have surprised him, but in a good way, because he looks really happy about it. "Seriously? Are they any good?"

"Well, I'd like to think so. But why do you want to know?"

"Here's where the stupid part comes in," he starts. "I was thinking that maybe you could help me write a song? I mean, I know we're not really friends, but if -"

"Who says we're not friends?" I ask.

He raises his eyebrows. "Um, I'm pretty sure you did."

"Oh. Right." I pause. "So you were saying?"

"That's really it," he says.

"Oh." I think over his words for a minute. Here he is, wanting to be a singer but not being able to write his own material, and here I am, able to write songs but too afraid to perform them. It's almost like... like fate.

I look at him, then nod. "I think that sounds like a great idea."

He beams. "Really?"

I nod. "Yeah, I think it'd be fun."

"Thank you, Ally, really. You're the best," he replies. He goes to back to his food, probably a little cold by now.

I look down at mine in front of me, and as I'm eating, I realize something. Not only are Austin and I planning to work together voluntarily on someone we both love, but this is the first time we actually had a conversation without it ending on a sour note. I smile to myself at this, and surprise myself when I realize that if this works out, I just may be satisfied with it.

* * *

**So, yeah, that's the chapter. The next one is pretty exciting - at least, in my opinion - so be on the lookout for that.**

**Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm actually pretty shocked that this story already has 30 follows? Whoa.**

**Reviews are pretty cool, too. :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Love's Never Too Late

**Summary: "You're unbelievably talented, Ally." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: Chapter 6 already? Wow. That was fast. So was this weekend, when I met R5. That was interesting. Really fun, of course, but apparently I have no idea how to talk around famous people. But anyways.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally, "Let Me Go" by Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger (chapter title and in chapter), or "You Can Come To Me" by Ross Lynch and Laura Marano.**

* * *

We arrive at the hotel with less than half an hour until curfew, so Austin and I decide to wait until trying to write music. The next day, we have a couple hours of free time to ourselves before dinner, as we left the museum earlier than Ms. Cromwell expected, so once we arrive at the hotel, I lead Austin to the second lobby at the back with the piano that I saw when I was looking around. Thankfully, the room's empty. It's a weekday, so most people staying here are probably working or sight-seeing. Austin leaves to grab something from his room, then quickly comes back with a guitar.

"They let you bring that on the trip?" I ask.

He looks at his guitar. "No one told me I couldn't."

I shrug, then sit down at the piano, and Austin moves a chair to sit next to me. He starts playing a few random chords on his guitar as I pull my songbook and a pencil from my bag.

"So, uh, how does this work?" he asks.

"How does what work?"

He nods towards my book. "Writing songs. How do you do it?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Most of the time I just jot down random lyrics, but to write a full song I usually sit at my piano and play something until I get an idea on what to write about, then go from there."

He nods, then tilts his head at me as if I said something interesting.

"What?" I ask.

"You said you play something until you get an idea. Why don't we just do that?"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning...I can play something until you think you know what to write about," he explains.

"Oh," I say. "Okay. What are you gonna play?"

He strums something before responding. "Do you know "Let Me Go" by Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger?" he asks.

"Yeah, I love that song."

"Cool," he says. He fixes his guitar on his lap, then nods at me to start playing, him joining in with the guitar. Once the lyrics start up, he begins to quietly sing them.

_Love that once hung on the wall_  
_Used to mean something, but now it means nothing_  
_The echoes are gone in the hall_  
_But I still remember, the pain of December_

Once he reaches the chorus, I find myself singing along to the words, my voice quiet at first, but slowly growing stronger the more I sing.

_I'm breaking free from these memories  
Gotta let it go, just let it go  
I've said goodbye, set it all on fire  
Gotta let it go, just let it go  
Oh-oh, oh-oh_

Since the next part is just Chad, I stop and watch Austin, his voice becoming more compelling with each line.

_You came back to find I was gone_  
_And that place is empty_  
_Like the hole that was left in me_  
_Like we were nothing at all_  
_It's not what you meant to me_  
_Thought we were meant to be_

By the time the chorus starts up, his voice is loud and strong, like it was back at the restaurant, but somehow more so. We're both practically singing at the top of our lungs together. For some reason, I don't bother worrying about the fact we could draw the attention of somebody.

_I let it go, and now I know_  
_A brand new life, is down this road_  
_And when it's right, you always know_  
_So this time I won't let go_

The final chorus starts up and I think Austin stops singing, because I no longer hear him.

_I've broken free from those memories  
I've let it go, I've let it go  
And two goodbyes led to this new life  
Don't let me go, don't let me go  
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh_

_Don't let me go, d__on't let me go, d__on't let me go, d__on't let me go, oh-oh_

I play the rest of the song solo and sing the last few lines quietly, though probably loud enough that Austin can hear me. Once I finish, I look up and see Austin staring at me funny.

"What?" I ask.

"Wow," he breathes.

I chuckle. "What did I do?"

He smiles, chuckling himself. "Just...wow," he says again.

I tilt my head at him questioningly. "I hope 'wow' means something good."

He nods. "Uh, yeah. You sing incredibly. I didn't know you had that in you. And your piano playing skills... You're unbelievably talented, Ally."

I blush, smiling at him. "Thanks," I say. "You're not so bad yourself."

He laughs. Our gazes stay locked for some time, and I see something change in his eyes a few seconds before he looks away and clears his throat. Something about this particular song choice seems to have effected him, or maybe it's just me.

"So," he says, "are you inspired yet?"

I slowly nod. "I think so."

"Good." He sets his guitar down and sits next to me at the piano. Together, we begin writing a song.

* * *

It takes some time to finish the song. Austin doesn't seem to understand how to write it at first, and he's not always the biggest fan of the lyrics I come up with, so we usually have to compromise, which isn't always easy to do with someone with writing skills like his. He's not bad, he's just not... 'experienced enough', or something like that. Many times he tells me that I should just write the whole song by myself, and so I have to remind him that he won't learn anything from that.

It takes some time to finish the song, but by the time Friday rolls around, we think we have something good.

He props his guitar up next to me at the piano. "You wanna start?" he asks.

I nod slowly. Over the past couple days of writing with him, I've had to sing around him. Somehow, it didn't take long for me to become comfortable singing around just Austin. I never would've suspected I'd be able to sing around anybody, much less him.

He starts playing the guitar, then looks at me when I should start singing.

_When you're on your own_  
_Drowning alone_  
_And you need a rope that can pull you in_  
_Someone'll throw it_

He smiles at me before starting the next verse.

_And when you're afraid_  
_That you're gonna break_  
_And you need a way to feel strong again_  
_Someone'll know it_

I join in during the next part.

_And even when it hurts the most  
Try to have a little hope  
That someone's gonna be there when you don't  
When you don't_

_If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder_  
_If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile_  
_If you wanna fly, I will be your sky_  
_Anything you need that's what I'll be_  
_You can come to me_

While continuing the song, I forget about the fact that we may not be alone and people can probably hear us. I don't care, though. I'm just lost in the music.

_Out in the cold  
With nowhere to go  
Feeling like no one could understand  
Then somebody gets you_

_So take a breath and let it go  
And try to have a little hope  
'Cause someone's gonna be there when you don't  
When you don't_

_If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder  
If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile  
If you wanna fly, I will be your sky  
Anything you need, that's what I'll be  
You can come to me_

_Like a chain that never breaks (chain that never breaks)_  
_Like a truth that never bends (truth that never bends)_  
_Like a glue that takes a broken heart __and puts it back again (puts it back again)_  
_It's the feeling that you get (feeling that you get)_  
_It's the moment that you know (moment that you know)_  
_That no matter what the future holds_  
_You'll never be alone_

I find myself watching Austin during the last part of the song. I don't notice anything else. He looks up and watches me, too.

_If you wanna climb, I'll be your ladder  
If you wanna run, I'll be your road  
If you want a friend, doesn't matter when  
Anything you need, that's what I'll be  
You can come to me_

You can come to me, yeah

We stop playing, but I can't seem to look away from Austin. I notice the change in his eyes that happened the first time we sang together is back. I open my mouth to say something, but I'm not sure what to say, so I just turn it into a smile, which he returns. Finally I look down at the piano keys.

"That was really amazing, Ally," I hear Austin say.

I look up. "Don't give me all the credit. You helped, too."

"Yeah," he says. "But you wrote all the good parts."

"Okay...but you make the song sound better," I reply.

He shakes his head. "Are we doing this, Dawson?"

I shrug. "Maybe we are, Moon." He chuckles.

"So, we've still got some time until we have to head back. Do you wanna go over the song again?"

I nod. "I guess so," I say.

He smiles. "Okay," he says, then begins playing the song again. We run through it three more times. During the fourth time, he stops playing as I'm singing the line _like a glue that takes your broken heart_.

"What is it?" I ask.

He looks at me like he has something to say, but doesn't know how to say it. "Do you have a piece of paper?" he blurts out.

I grab my songbook and take one out from the back, handing it to him. He grabs the pencil that's sitting on the piano, then quickly writes something down on the paper and puts it in his pocket.

"What was that about?" I ask, confused.

He shakes his head. "Nothing."

"Okay..." I say. "So, did you want to keep playing or..?"

He sighs. "Nah. We should probably head to the front now. It's getting close to dinner."

I nod. "Alright then," I say, then start putting my things away. I pretend not to notice when Austin pulls out the paper again and writes something else on it before handing me back my pencil. Then we walk to the front of the hotel in silence.

* * *

**So yeah, that's chapter 6. Kind of shorter than I thought, but.**

**Reviews are really great. :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Let's Go Nowhere That We Know

**Summary: "We are going to go explore on our own." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: Chapter 7. I have a feeling you guys will like where this is going after this one. Oh, and to those of you asking about what Austin wrote on the paper...you'll find out soon.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or "Ain't No Way we're Goin' Home" by R5 (chapter title).**

* * *

The next day, Ms. Cromwell promises we'll only be visiting museums for a few more days before getting to the good stuff. Something makes me think she picked the most boring museums to be the last ones, because even I feel bored the minute we first walk in. I don't hate the museums - Ms. Cromwell usually picks really nice ones, and it _is_ supposed to be a learning experience, after all, so I understand why she's taking us to them - but I'm becoming more and more anxious to see some of the exciting things in Paris.

Even though Austin knows he isn't going to like this place, he still makes it a point to groan when we step inside.

"Do we _have_ to go through this place? It looks _so boring_," he says. "I could just fall asleep right now." To prove his point, he rests his head on mine, closing his eyes.

I move away when he least expects it, causing him to stumble slightly.

"Wow, Ally, you're not a very nice pillow," he says as we walk.

"Maybe that's because I'm _not_ a pillow?" I say to him.

He gives me once-over. "I don't know, you look kinda comfy."

I look at him confused. "I'm not really sure how to take that," I say slowly. I turn away and continue following the group. Austin walks beside me, surprisingly quiet.

The tour guide leads us around, explaining the different work displayed and its importance in history. He's speaking in French, so Ms. Cromwell makes an effort to translate some things even though we should probably be expected to understand him.

When the tour guide is busy discussing something, the girl next to me from class - I think her name is Kira - looks beside me, then says, "Aren't you supposed to have a partner? Austin, right?"

I look at her confused, then look next to me, finding the space vacant.

"Yeah..." I say slowly, turning back to her.

"You might want to go find him before Ms. Cromwell finds out. You don't want him to get you in trouble," she says, then looks back to the front.

I glance at her for a second, thinking. She does have a point. Even though it would mostly be Austin's fault he wandered off, I could get in trouble for not keeping an eye on him.

I tap Kira's shoulder, then whisper, "If she asks, I'm going to the washroom." She gives me a nod, then lightly pushes me behind a display so I can leave without being noticed. When I think it's safe to go, I walk through the display's quietly until I get to the corner, then take off back the way we came.

As I walk, I quietly call for Austin. I should be able to see him. I mean, where could he go? He can't have gone that far. I'm about to open my mouth again when I feel something grab my wrist. Before I can comprehend what's going on, I'm in a custodian closet, someone's hand covering my mouth, the other still gripping my wrist.

"Shh, shh, shh! Ally, calm down!" I hear the mystery person say as I try to shout muffled calls for help. They remove their hand from my wrist and pull a chain, turning on the light. They take their other hand off my mouth, and standing in front of me I see -

"Austin!" I say, smacking his arm.

"_Ow_, Ally," he says, rubbing his arm. "What was that for?"

"You scared me half to death is what that's for," I say. "Now, what are you doing in here? We have to be with the group. We don't need to get into any trouble for hiding in a custodian closet!"

I begin to reach for the door handle to leave, but he beats me to it, grabbing my hand and pulling it back. I ignore the funny feeling that runs up my arm from the spot where his hand is touching mine, a feeling I've been noticing much too often lately whenever we make accidental contact.

"Oh, no, you're not going anywhere now. You're stuck with me." He smirks. "Or did you forget the rules about the partners?"

I roll my eyes, remembering the fact we're supposed to stay together. "Well then, _partner_, in case you've forgotten, one of the other rules was to stick with the group," I say. Again, I reach for the door, but again, I'm stopped.

"No," he says. "_We_ are going to go explore on our own. And _have fun_."

"Austin, I really don't think -"

"Oh, come on, Ally. Live a little! We're just going through museums. Besides, there's those few hours of free time we get today. It's not like we'll be missed."

I remain quiet, unsure of how to respond.

"You know you wanna," he sings.

I stand my ground, glaring at him with a look that remains annoyed, yet unsure.

"It'll be fun," he sings again.

I stay silent.

"We could visit all your favourite places," he suggests. "Like the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre Pyramid. And those are some of the last things we'll get to see if we stick with the group."

"Okay, but what about if we got caught?" I retort.

"Relax, that won't happen," he says.

"But what if it does?"

He sighs, thinking for a moment. "Then we'll just tell them we got lost. But you don't need to worry, okay? We'll be fine."

I sigh, looking away and thinking. By saying no, I'd be following the rules Ms. C set for us. I'd still be a good student. But Austin would never let me live this down that I don't know how to have fun or he may just end up just leaving on his own. Plus, there's the whole thing about getting in trouble for not keeping an eye on him.

If I were to say yes, though, I'd be breaking the rules. If I got caught I could even end up getting sent home. And I really don't want that to happen. But I also just might have more fun, and maybe I could get to know Austin a little better, despite the fact I keep telling myself I shouldn't want that. There's also the promise of more songwriting time.

I don't know what's coming over me at the moment, though I'm pretty sure it's Austin, but even then I think my next words shock him as much as they shock me.

I sigh. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I guess I'll ditch the group with you to have 'fun'," I say, air-quoting the word 'fun'.

His face lights up like a kid on Christmas morning. "You will?" he asks.

I nod slowly.

"Seriously? Ally, that's awesome!" he says. I suddenly feel his arms wrap around me in a tight hug - or death squeeze as I'd rather call it - cutting off my ability to breathe.

"Uh, Austin?" I manage to ask.

"Yes?" he asks, still beaming.

"Can you, uh, let go of me maybe? Breathing's kind of important, and right now, I kinda can't so..."

"Oh," he says. He lets go. "Sorry."

I shake out my arms. "Thanks," I mutter.

We stand quietly for a minute before I point to the door. "Should we go now? Maybe before I change my mind?"

"Oh, right," he says. Quietly, he opens the door a little to make sure the coast is clear, then grabs my wrist and pulls me along towards the back exit and out into Paris.

* * *

**So yeah. It's really short, I know, but the next couple chapters should make up for that. They're fairly long, I think.**

**Oh, also, I went back and fixed the lyrics in the last few chapters. The spacing was all weird and I didn't like that, so...yeah.**

**Reviews are great. :)**


	8. Chapter 8, Part 1: Brings Me Back To You

**Summary: "These past couple weeks have been some of the most fun times in my entire life." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: We're finally on chapter 8 and I'm actually kind of excited for everyone to read this because it's literally my favourite one that I wrote and yeah I'm just gonna let you get straight to it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally, Tyler Ward's cover of "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers, or Alex and Sierra's cover of "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles (you'll understand why it's covers when you get there)(also the chapter title).**

* * *

The farther away from the museum we get, the more I keep turning around to see if anyone's following, which makes Austin have to pull me along even more.

"Why did I agree to this?" I mutter. "They must know we're gone by now. They've probably already sent out a search party or something!" Saying this causes me to turn around again to see if what I said is true. But like last time, I don't see anyone heading towards us.

Austin comes up next to me and puts his hand on the small of my back to push me along. "If you keep stopping like that, maybe they'll have a chance to catch us." I look behind us again to see if he's right. He shakes his head at me and continues walking, taking his hand off my back.

I look at him as we walk. "This could be classed as kidnapping, you know," I say. "You forcing me to go with you around Paris against my will."

"It's not kidnapping when you agree to it," he says, laughing in the process.

I cross my arms. "It's not funny."

"I don't know, I think it's kinda funny," he says, still laughing.

We continue walking until we're far enough away from the museum. I stop. Austin keeps walking until he realizes I'm no longer following him, then turns around and walks back to me. "Now what?"

I raise my head. "I refuse to follow you any longer until you tell me where we're going," I say.

He sighs. "Do you _have_ to be so difficult all the time?"

I nod.

"Come on! It's Paris! We could go wherever you want." I open my mouth to speak, but he beats me to it, holding a finger up to stop me. "Besides going back to the group."

I pout. "Fine," I mutter.

He waits for me to answer. When I don't give him one, he says, "So? Where do you want to go?"

I pause for a second, thinking. As much as I want to go back to the group, I know I can't, so I might as well make the best of this time. "Hmm. How about the Louvre Pyramid?" I suggest, remembering what we talked about when we went to the Arc du Carrousel.

"The Louvre?" He pauses, then nods. "I guess so. But after, it's my turn to choose."

I stare at him wide-eyed, because I'm almost positive I'm not going to like his choice. I decide to ignore it for now.

"Come on," I say, trying my best to smile. "We should go now before we run out of time."

He smiles back, and together, we walk to the Louvre.

* * *

Because we don't exactly know our way around Paris just yet, Austin and I end up taking a bus to the Louvre. It's not a long ride, so in no time, we find ourselves there. We walk up to it, just looking at it.

I look at Austin. "Do you want to go inside?" I ask.

"Yeah," he says, like it should be completely obvious. I laugh and follow him into the pyramid. We have to pay admittance, of course, but luckily we both have enough money to get in. It's not overly busy today, though I'm not sure if that's a good thing. We could blend in better with a larger crowd, but less people will make it easier to look at everything.

We stay inside the pyramid itself for a bit, taking in the view.

"Wow," I breathe, looking all around me. "This place looks amazing."

Austin nods in response. "Yeah."

We stay outside for a few more minutes before deciding to go into the actual museum. The first place we head to is the Egyptian section, which is filled with amazing sculptures and artifacts that date back as far as 4,000 BC. I'm not very interested in Egyptian stuff, but the things we see are really interesting nonetheless. We also get to view antiques from times like Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman eras.

Eventually, Austin and I find the Mona Lisa. It's the most crowded here, but we manage to make our way to the front.

"It's amazing," I say.

Austin tilts his head, as if it'll help him get a better look. "You know, I never really used to get why people questioned her smile until now," he says. "She doesn't look too thrilled to be painted."

"Austin!" I say. "She looks fine. And thrilled enough to be painted. You're just looking at it the wrong way."

"Oh," he says, and then tilts his head again, but to the left instead.

I shake my head. "Not exactly what I meant." He just shrugs.

As more people start surrounding the painting again, we decide to continue looking around, and head to the inverted pyramid. It is so much more amazing to see in person than in a picture - just like pretty much everything I've seen in Paris, honestly. As I'm admiring the pyramid, though, I look over at Austin to see him facing me instead. He has that look in his eyes again, the same one from when we were singing, almost like he was admiring something. I always assumed it was just from the music, but we're not singing or even talking at the moment. So why is he looking at me like that?

"What is it?" I ask.

He shakes his head, and the look is gone. "Nothing." He sighs. "Do you think we should go now? There's still so much left to see, and I'm getting kind of hungry."

I nod, noticing the empty feeling in my stomach. "Sure," I say.

* * *

Leaving the Louvre, we decide to head to a regular fast-food place to eat so we don't have to wait so long to get something. After we buy our food and sit down, I look at Austin.

"So, where did you want to go next?" I ask.

He looks up. "Oh, I'm not sure yet."

"There's a lot of places we could go."

He nods. "I know. The problem is narrowing it down to just one place at a time."

"Yeah," I agree. "Paris is huge."

We eat in silence for a bit. Austin suddenly jerks his head up.

"What? Did you figure out where you wanted to go?" I ask.

He looks at me as if I didn't just ask him a question. "Do you have a pencil with you or something?" he says.

I give him a confused look. "Um, I think so," I say, then search through my bag. Finding a pencil, I pull it out and hand it to him. "What do you need a pencil for?" I ask.

He looks around the table, then grabs a napkin and starts writing on it, muttering to himself. All I catch is something like, "...isn't...place...go...be there." Then he takes the napkin and sticks it in his back pocket, handing me back my pencil.

I take it from him, but as I do I say, "Are you sure you don't want to keep it? You seem like you'll need it more than I will today."

He shakes his head. "No, I'm good."

"Oookay..." After putting the pencil back in my bag, but in a place of better access, I ask, "So, what were you writing, anyway? I didn't quite catch it."

He shrugs. "Nothing."

"Really? It didn't look like nothing to me," I say.

He just shrugs again, not bothering to even look up at me.

After a few more minutes of silence I decide to speak up again. "So...have you thought more about where you want to go after?"

He looks up at me, this time to respond. "I was thinking maybe the Arc. The other Arc, I mean."

"The Arc de Triomphe?" He nods. "Oh. I guess that sounds okay."

Finishing his food, we walk out and into the street. Turning to me, Austin smirks. "You ready to feel even shorter than usual?" he asks.

I just roll my eyes, but fail to hide my smirk. "Shut up and let's go," I say.

"The Arc isn't even as tall as the Eiffel Tower, so imagine that sight if we go there," he replies.

"You're so annoying sometimes."

"What? I didn't call you short this time," he says.

"It was implied, though!"

"No, it wasn't!"

"Yeah, it totally was."

"No, I don't think so."

"You're such a liar."

"Whatever, short-stuff."

"Hey!"

* * *

We make it to the Arc fairly quickly. Unlike the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe is quite busy. I guess that's to be expected considering it's later in the day and it's practically in the middle of Paris. And it definitely is bigger than the Arc du Carrousel. Much bigger.

Austin and I walk underneath, admiring the designs on it silently. Looking at the Arc, I can almost forget about the fact that I'm not supposed to be here and that I should be at least close to my class. The worry about being caught certainly hasn't faded completely, but I'm trying not to think about it too much. I want to enjoy this little adventure with Austin without feeling paranoid.

Austin turns to me. "Did you want to go inside?" he asks.

I look up. Seeing exactly how much taller this place really is than I am makes me feel like an ant.

"And all the way up there?" I ask, pointing. He nods. "No. Not now. Seems like a lot of stairs, and I don't want to become too tired to walk around more."

He nods in agreement. "Fair enough." Standing next to me, he says, "So, have _you_ figured out where you'd like to go next?"

I glance at him, then look back at the Arc. "I don't know. I was thinking the Notre Dame, maybe. From 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'," I say. "After seeing that movie, I've been interested in checking it out."

He shrugs. "Okay. Do you want to head there now?"

After one last look at the Arc above me, I say, "Sure," then follow Austin away from the Arc de Triomphe.

* * *

The Notre Dame is absolutely amazing. So is the Cité de la Musique **[City of Music]** institute that Austin picks after, which is filled with - like the name states - so much music. Austin asks to borrow my pencil again, but after he tries to give it back to me I don't take it. Good thing I don't, too, because I can't count how many times he pulls out that napkin from lunch to write on it. I'm tempted to ask him what he's doing, but every time I did before, he wouldn't say, so I don't bother.

After the Cité de la Musique, I choose the National Library, which Austin isn't too pleased with. Even though the majority of the books there are in French, I still find many selections I'd enjoy. I don't check any out, of course, but I would've stayed all day if Austin didn't decide to drag me out after an hour.

The next place Austin chooses is Born Bad, a record shop he remembers hearing about in class and is interested in checking it out.

"Are you sure the class isn't there today?" I ask as we walk.

He shakes his head. "Nah, I checked the list. It's not until next Saturday."

"Well, if you're so sure," I say, but I can't shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen. I find that I'm right when we round the corner to the store.

"Whoa!" Austin shouts, grasping my wrist and pulling me into an empty alleyway.

"What? What is it?" I demand.

"Shh! Be quiet!" he whispers, then peaks over me and out into the street for a second. He leans back over.

I glare at him. "The class is down the street, isn't it?"

He doesn't reply.

"I thought you said we weren't going here until next week!"

"That's what the list said!" he says.

I pull the class schedule from my bag, reading over the events. When I get to today's, I smack him in the chest. "Austin!" I say. "You read it wrong! We're supposed to be there today, not next week!"

"Okay, first of all, _ow_," he says, rubbing his chest. "And secondly, I'm sorry! I swore it said next Saturday!"

I cross my arms, leaning against the wall. "How long until you think they'll leave?"

He leans over me again, glancing down the street. "I don't see them anymore," he says. I lean over too, my cheek brushing his. I try to ignore the shiver that runs down my spine when this happens and search for the group.

"Yeah, I don't either," I say. I lean back slightly. "Maybe it's safe to go."

Instead of leaning back, he turns to face me, our noses only inches apart. "Yeah," he says. "But we should probably go back the way we came."

"You think?" I breathe. I watch him as he chuckles. His gaze suddenly drops to my lips and back to my eyes, then down again. His breath hitches and he starts to lean in closer to me. My eyes start to flutter shut, and just as I begin to feel his light breathing on my lips, a car horn goes off in the street, causing Austin to jump back.

I can feel the redness creeping up on my cheeks, and if I resemble anything like Austin, I know it's clearly obvious, no matter how dark this alleyway is.

He clears his throat. "We should probably go now."

I nod. "Yeah," I say, then follow him out into the street, back the way we came. As we leave, I realize Austin's grip is on my wrist again. The more we walk, the farther down it slides, until his hand is resting perfectly in mine. Whether he's conscious of it or not, he suddenly intertwines our fingers. I glance up at him to see if he's paying attention, but he's too focused on getting us away from the group to do anything about it.

* * *

After nearly getting caught thanks to Austin, I decide to choose the next place to go. I don't have anywhere in mind, so I just pick a random convenience store on a street that I know the class won't be walking anywhere near. There, I pick up some water before thinking it's okay to leave. Then we walk to a nearby park and sit down on a bench.

I take a sip of my water before speaking. "Well. That was close."

His eyes flicker with that look again, and at first I think he thinks I'm talking about him almost kissing me, but then he nods. "A little too close," he says.

I look around the park, taking in the view. "So, did you want to choose something again or is it my turn?" I ask.

He looks at me, then pulls out his phone to check the time. "It's getting close to six. Maybe we should get something to eat."

I nod. "Where did you have in mind?"

He smirks at me, and I know I'm not going to like his decision. "You'll see."

* * *

Standing in front of the restaurant, I suddenly know what Austin's intentions are, and immediately turn back around.

"Ally!" Austin says, grabbing my wrist to stop me.

"No way are we going in there!" I say.

He manages to stop me from walking away, but I still stand as far from the door as possible. "And why not? Did you not like the food or something?"

"Oh, the food's great - it's just the singing I'm not interested in," I say.

I can tell he wants to pretend he has no clue as to what I'm talking about, but he sighs. "How do you know that's why I came here?"

"Because it's just like you to do such a thing," I say. I pull my wrist free from his grip to cross my arms.

"So? You're a great singer! What's so bad about performing in front of a bunch of strangers?" he asks.

"Because I can't," I say.

"Why not?"

"Because, Austin, I can't! And you can thank yourself for that," I yell.

He looks confused. "What are you talking about?"

I sigh and look at the ground in front of me, kicking at the loose gravel from the sidewalk. "Remember what I said on the first day of the trip? About you wrecking my grade six performance?" I whisper.

"Yeah, why?"

I sigh. "After that day, people laughed at me for over a week. I was so embarrassed. And the next time the teacher asked me to sing a song in front of the class, I panicked. I thought I'd mess it up." I look up at him. "I haven't sang in front of anyone since then. I'm even too afraid to let my own family hear me."

He gives me a sad look before responding. "Then how were you able to sing in front of me?"

I shrug. "I don't know," I mumble. "I guess I just felt...okay with it. Somehow. I don't know."

"You felt comfortable," he confirms, and hearing it I know that's the word I'm looking for.

I nod. "Yeah," I say. "That."

He sighs, taking a step closer to me. "Ally, I'm sorry. I...I didn't know."

I shake my head. "Don't apologize." I take a deep breath. "It happened a long time ago. It's in the past."

"That doesn't matter," he says. He pauses. "Ally, these past couple weeks have been some of the most fun times in my entire life."

"Well, we are in Paris," I say.

"That's not what I'm saying." He pauses again. "I...I want to apologize for the way I treated you before. I don't just mean during the beginning of the trip, but -"

"Austin, you really don't have to -" I start.

"No, I do. I've really gotten to know you, Ally, and I swear, if I could take back -"

"Austin, I -"

"- every mean thing I ever did to you, I would," he finishes. "I mean that."

I look at him, and in his eyes I can see that he's telling the truth. Somehow, someway, it only took Austin a couple weeks to feel sorry for every rude thing he's ever done to me. I have no idea what I'm supposed to say or feel about that.

I smile shyly. "Thank you," I say quietly. "You...you really didn't have to say that, but...thank you."

He smiles, and suddenly his arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. I laugh lightly before deciding to wrap my own arms around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Why are you hugging me?" I ask quietly.

He laughs. "I just want to. Is that a problem?" he says.

I shake my head. "No."

He pulls back, his arms still around me. "Is it alright if we go in, anyway? I won't make you sing."

I smile. "Sure," I say. "Who knows? Maybe it's not even open mic night tonight."

He laughs. "Come on." And with his arm slung over my shoulder, we walk inside.

* * *

Of course I'm completely wrong about open mic night.

Turns out, this place has open mic night every weekend, and we just happened to pick the one day to go when no one is willing to sing. The waiter's are constantly going on the stage to say anyone is welcome to sing, but no one does. I look at Austin to see if he will, but he just lightly shakes his head, going between his food and writing on that napkin again. Or is it a new one? I think so. He must be writing something big for him to be concentrating on it so much.

After finishing his food, he gives the new napkin one last look before folding it up and putting it in his pocket with the other one.

He looks at me for the first time tonight. "Is it alright with you if I sing a little something tonight?"

"Is it what you've been writing lately?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "No," he says. "I'm not saying it's a song," he continues, "but if it was, it's not done yet."

"Oh," I reply. I nod after. "I guess so."

He smiles. "Thanks," he says, then walks up to one of the waiters passing the stage. They must recognize him from last week because he immediately smiles at Austin like he's looking at an old friend, then rushes off to grab the guitar Austin probably asked for. Only a few minutes later, Austin's all set on stage, tuning the guitar before speaking into the mic.

"Hey, guys. So I'm not sure if anyone here was here last week, but I'm Austin Moon. This is "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers."

He starts playing the song, a little slower than the original. No matter how many times I listen to Austin perform, I'm still amazed. Most of me now is questioning how he's able to get on stage and sing with such confidence and without any fear. It must be nice to be able to do what you love without being afraid of the outcomes.

_So show me family_  
_All the blood that I would bleed_  
_I don't know where I belong_  
_I don't know where I went wrong_  
_But I can write a song_

The chorus starts, I can almost guarantee that Austin faces me. Is he singing to me? Or just in my general direction? I'm not sure I want to know which one, or why I find myself liking the idea that he might actually be singing to _me_ of all people.

He turns back to the crowd during the next verse, scanning over everyone, but once again, the chorus comes around and he's looking at me again.

_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart  
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart_

_Love – we need it now  
Let's hope for some  
So, we're bleeding out_

_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart  
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart  
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart_

Once he's finished, I start cheering for him right away. I notice that a lot of people keep looking in my direction. Maybe they saw Austin looking this way? They must have with how often he looked over here. The stares are starting to bother me, so I stop clapping. Austin must notice, because not long after I do, he walks off the stage to talk to me.

"Did I do okay?" he asks, concern in his tone.

I laugh. "You did fine," I say. "Why are you so worried?"

He glances back at the stage, then turns to me, a serious expression on his face. "I really want you up there with me," he says.

I sigh. "Austin, we've been over this. I can't."

He grabs the chair from the empty table next to us to sit beside me. "I know you said that, Ally, but trust me, you're incredibly amazing at singing. There's no way you'll mess up."

"I don't know, Austin..." I look down at my hands in my lap.

He lifts my chin up. "Just look at me. Okay? You sing just fine in front me. Pretend it's just the two of us."

I sigh, wondering how it ever came to this - the boy who caused my stage fright is suddenly the only one who may actually help me overcome it, even just a little.

"What song would we even sing?" I ask quietly.

He smiles, probably taking this as a yes. "Whatever you want."

I look down again, thinking. "Have you heard the duet version of "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah," he says. "You wanna sing that?"

I nod, taking a deep breath. "I guess so."

He smiles. "Come on," he says, taking my hand and pulling me onto the stage. When one of the waiters notices there's suddenly two people planning to sing, he grabs the extra mic stand and chair sitting next to the stage and sets it up by me. I sit down and adjust the microphone, trying to ignore the jittery feeling all over me and the stares people are giving me.

Austin sits down with the guitar, smiling at the crowd. "Long time no see, guys," he says casually, causing the crowd to laugh. After it dies down, he continues. "So, you'll notice I'm not exactly alone up here." He points to me as he speaks. "This is Ally Dawson. She's a little shy, so if you guys could help make her feel as welcome as possible that'd be really great. We'll be singing "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles."

I look at him as he fixes the guitar on his lap again. Facing me, he whispers, "Do you want me to start?" When I nod, he turns back to the mic, then begins playing.

_Something always brings me back to you_  
_It never takes too long_  
_No matter what I say or do_  
_I'll still feel you here till the moment I'm gone_

The next verse is mine, and so he looks at me, nodding when I should start. I open my mouth to sing, but nothing comes out. As hard as I try to ignore the people paying attention to me, it's too nerve-wracking.

"Sorry," I whisper. Austin just smiles at me, playing until the beginning of the chorus before stopping.

"Sorry about that," he says into the mic. "She's a little nervous." The crowd laughs a little at this, probably because it's completely obvious. One person at the back shouts, "It's okay!" to cheer me up. I smile about it.

Austin looks at me to see if I'm okay. "Do you still want to sing?"

I nod slowly. "Yeah."

"Okay." He turns back to his mic. "We're just gonna restart, if that's alright." Then he adjusts his guitar and starts playing, but looking at me as he does.

_Something always brings me back to you_  
_It never takes too long_  
_No matter what I say or do_  
_I'll still feel you here till the moment I'm gone_

At my turn, he nods to me for when to start. Forgetting about the crowd, I begin.

_You hold me without touch  
You keep me without chains  
I never wanted anything so much  
Than to drown in your love and not feel your rain_

_Set me free_  
_Leave me be_  
_I don't wanna fall another moment into your gravity_  
_Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be_  
_But you're on to me and all over me_

Austin sings the next part, not tearing his gaze from mine for even a second.

_I live here on my knees  
As I try to make you see  
That you're everything I think I need h__ere on the ground_

He stops singing and continues to look at me during my part. I don't look away from him, either.

_But you're neither friend nor foe_  
_Though I can't seem to let you go_  
_The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down_

Austin starts up the chorus again, and I quickly join in, altering between the both of us and just him.

_Set me free_  
_Leave me be_  
_I don't wanna fall another moment into your gravity_  
_Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be_  
_But you're on to me and all over me_

I sing the last lines alone, and I notice that, once again, Austin is looking at me with the same look he seems to give me nearly every time that we're together. I can feel myself returning it as I sing.

_Something always brings me back to you_  
_It never takes too long_

I was paying so much attention to Austin as we sang that I actually managed to forget we're singing in front of an audience until they start cheering. I'm able to tear my gaze from Austin at the sound of them, and look in utter shock at the reaction we're getting. I decide to wave a little, unsure of what else to do as I start to feel nervous again. Then suddenly, Austin leans over and plants a kiss on my cheek. It may just be my imagination, but I swear the cheering gets louder after he does this.

Austin grabs my hand to pull my from the stage and back to our table. We get so many compliments as we pass by people, telling us how amazing and talented and cute we are together.

Wait, cute together?

I look at Austin once we're back at our seat. "Is it just me, or do these people think we're together? Like, _together _together?" I ask.

He chuckles. "Probably, yeah."

He doesn't give much of an impression on what he thinks of this, so I ask, "And you're okay with that?"

He shrugs. "They're a bunch of strangers in Paris that we're probably never going to see again. It doesn't really bother me that they don't know the truth."

"Oh." I lean back in my seat, surprised. Austin okay with people thinking he's dating me. That's something I never thought would happen.

I look at my watch to check the time. Almost 7:30.

"We should probably go," I say to Austin. "It's getting kind of late."

"Okay," he says. After paying the bill, we head out into the street.

Austin breathes in the fresh air. Turning to me, he says, "That was so amazing, Ally. Really. One of the best times of my life. I mean, I knew you could sing, but I didn't know you were _that _good."

I shrug. "It's not exactly something I can just share with people," I say, and I see in his eyes the guilt he feels from knowing he's the reason I started feeling this way in the first place.

I sigh. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

He shrugs. "It's my own fault. You don't need to apologize."

I shake my head. "Yes, I do." I pause. "But thank you for the compliment. You were pretty great up there, too."

He smiles. "Thanks."

We stand in silence for a minute before I speak up. "So, isn't it mine turn to pick now? Because I know this really great place -"

"Actually, I have a better idea," Austin interrupts.

I stop speaking. "Really? And am I going to like this idea?"

He laughs. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure you will," he says, then takes my hand in his. Like last time, he intertwines our fingers. We start walking, and as hard as I try to ignore his hand in mine, it's all I can think about.

Eventually, I say, "Um, Austin, just wondering, but why are you holding my hand?"

He faces me, and suddenly embarrassment flashes across his face. He lets go. "Oh. Sorry," he says nervously.

"Oh, no, it's okay!" I reassure him. "I was just wondering why."

"Oh," he says, then shrugs in response. He doesn't take my hand again, but as we walk our hands keep brushing and the impulse to take his hand is too strong, so I give in. I don't look at him, but I see him glance at me out of the corner of my eye. I ignore the smile plastered on his face, too.

* * *

**So that was a lot longer than I thought it was gonna be. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because I kind of really like it. And I'm pretty sure you'll like the next one, too. Well, most of it. But yeah.**

**Oh, also, I wrote a new one-shot titled "Never Knew I Could Feel That Much" that I uploaded last week and it'd be really cool if you checked that out if you haven't already. So yeah.**

**Reviews are just really awesome. :)**


	9. Chapter 8 Part 2: Climb The Eiffel Tower

**Summary: "There's no one better than you." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: So, uh, you guys are gonna love this chapter, and then hate this chapter, I'm sure of that much. My apologies, I just wrote what felt right. So please don't hate me. Yeah.**

**Oh, but good news! Austin & Ally got renewed for a season four! That's exciting. Hopefully that'll make this chapter a little less, uh, conflicting? Sure.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or "What Do I Have To Do" by R5 (chapter title again).**

* * *

The Eiffel Tower is more crowded than any other place we've visited today. It takes us quite some time to get onto the elevator that will take us to the top, though during that time we're able to admire how amazing the tower is. Austin doesn't even attempt to make any short jokes in my direction.

On the elevator up, Austin doesn't let go of my hand. Watching the view going by the higher we get, I'm barely conscious of the fact he's even next to me, unless he moves or shifts his hand in mine. For some reason, the connection is comforting.

Finally, we make it to the top, and what a sight. Even at dusk, the garden below us is amazing. We walk to the ledge and look down. Seeing just how high we are makes me a little nervous, and so I tighten my grip on Austin's hand.

He notices. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?" he asks.

I look up. "No, I just...I didn't quite realize how tall this thing really is. We're _really_ high up," I say. I look to the top of the tower above me.

Austin follows my gaze. "Yeah, we're high up, all right." Facing me, he smiles. "But we'll be fine."

I smile back, then lean against the ledge and take in the view. The sun is behind us, but even then the sky is filled with beautiful colours as it slowly sets.

"The view is really something," I say.

"Yeah," Austin says quietly beside me. I look over at him only to find he's already looking at me. As I smile, the look shows up in his eyes again, and he smiles back shyly at me.

I decide to ask, "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

His eyebrows scrunch together in confusion, but for once the look doesn't disappear completely. "Like what?" he asks.

"Like..." I shake my head, unsure of how to describe it. Except I recognize the look. It's the same look I feel in my own eyes when I talk about music, the look I see in Austin when he gets lost in a song. It's the same look I used to see in my parents every time they saw each other.

"What is it, Ally?" Austin asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I look away. "Never mind," I say.

I can tell from the side that he wants to know. He's about to respond, but then decides against it, and turns back to the view. We stand in silence for some time, and I'm not sure if it's because no one has anything to say or we just don't feel like talking at the moment. It's not exactly quiet, of course, as there's people walking all around us and the street below is filled with cars. But it's surprisingly nice.

Austin suddenly pulls out his napkin from the restaurant again and quickly writes something on it, then puts it away. He takes my hand again, almost like it's second nature.

"So," I say, "what _are_ you writing? You've been working on it all day."

He glances at me. "Oh, that. Uh, just something I've been thinking about."

"Is it a song?" I ask. When he says nothing, I lightly elbow his side. "Come on, you can tell me."

He laughs. "Fine, maybe. _But_ I can't show you until I'm a hundred percent sure it's complete."

"Aw, why? You know I can help you with it," I say.

"Yeah, but I want to try this one on my own," he replies.

"Oh."

He looks at me, and thinking he's upset me, says, "No, Ally, it's not that you're a bad writer or anything, it's just -"

"What?" I interrupt. "Austin, I wasn't thinking that at all."

"Oh." He looks away. "Sorry."

I laugh. "It's fine, really. I'm glad you're trying to write a song. I'm excited to hear it."

"Me, too," he says, but I swear he sounds a little nervous as he speaks.

"If you don't mind my asking, are you writing it for anyone special?" I say.

He looks at me. "Like who?"

"I don't know," I mutter. "A girlfriend, maybe your mom..."

He laughs. "My mom doesn't want me focusing on music at the moment, so I don't think she'd want me to write her a song just yet."

"Well, what about a girlfriend?" I say again.

"I don't have a girlfriend," he says. I look into the streets below again, feeling slightly course he doesn't have a girlfriend. If he did, he probably wouldn't be holding your hand right now.

I clear my throat. "How come?"

"How come I don't have a girlfriend?" I nod in response. He shrugs. "I don't know. After my last one, I've just never felt the need for anyone special in my life."

"Oh," I say, probably sounding a little too shocked.

He picks up on it. "What, you thought I'd have like three girlfriends a week? Ally, I know people like to say things, but I'm not that kind of a guy."

I look up at him wide-eyed. "No, no, I wasn't thinking that, I was just...surprised for some reason, that's all."

"Why?"

I shrug. "I don't know." I pause. "Besides, if anything, I only thought it was one girlfriend a week."

He laughs. "Of course."

It's quiet between us before Austin decides to speak up again.

"So what about you?"

"What?"

"Got anyone you call special back home?"

"Oh." I look away before shaking my head. "No. Not anymore."

"Not anymore? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means 'not anymore'. There used to be someone special in my life, but they're no longer a part of it," I say.

"Who was it?" he asks.

I sigh. "No one you know. Just this kid from summer camp." I pause before continuing on. "We were pretty good friends for a while, and I thought he liked me, but when I finally said something, he... turned me down."

Austin shifts slightly beside me. "Why did he do that?"

"You ask a lot of questions," I say instead. When he doesn't take his eyes off me, I say, "There was someone else." I pause. "There always is. Someone prettier, someone smarter, someone nicer. Just someone...better."

Austin sighs. "Well, he was wrong to turn you down," he says. Suddenly, he lets go of my hand to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. He says his next words quietly, almost as if he has no intention of me actually hearing them. "There's no one better than you."

I glance up at him, shocked. I can't help but think I didn't hear him right. No one's ever said something like that about me. Never.

"You don't mean that," I say, looking at my feet.

He lifts my chin up to meet his gaze again, and before he even responds I know he'll mean every word he'll say. "I do."

Our gazes stay locked, and I watch as the look fully returns to his eyes once again. His gaze flickers from my mouth to eyes then mouth again, just like before by the record shop. Slowly, he begins leaning down, the hand still resting against my chin tilting my head up. Before I can even think through the situation, my eyes flutter shut as I feel his lips press into mine in a gentle kiss. He pulls back a little to see my reaction, and when I don't protest, he leans in and kisses me again, fuller this time, sliding his hand to the back of my neck. I rest my hands on his waist, not pulling him closer but not pushing him away, either.

Pulling back again, he smiles at me. I return it.

"Vous avez de très beaux yeux," he says quietly.

I don't comprehend what he said to me. "What?" I ask.

He laughs. "I said," he starts, "that you have very beautiful eyes."

"Oh." I look down. "Thanks."

Suddenly, as if on cue, the lights on the Eiffel Tower turn on as it becomes night. I laugh as I look around us.

"It's as if that was cued," Austin mutters, practically reading my thoughts.

I look back at him, and thinking about him and I sharing the same thought somehow reminds me of the first day here, getting off the plane and smiling about the view before heading to our hotel.

I gasp. "Oh, shoot!" I shout, looking at my watch.

"What? What is it?" he asks.

"It's almost curfew! We can't be late!"

"Well, come on, then, let's go!" he says, grabbing my hand and running to the nearest exit. The elevators are all full and too slow, anyway, so we rush down the stairs. Once at the bottom, Austin pulls me along to the first bus we find going our way. We climb on and head to the back, then sit down.

"Do you think we'll make it on time?" I ask.

He checks my watch. "4 minutes till curfew. I think we'll be lucky if we're only a few minutes late."

I sigh. "I can't afford to get in trouble on this trip."

Austin sits up. "Hey, don't worry. We'll get there as soon as we can." He tightens his grip on my hand. "Besides, we're in this together. If you go down, I'm coming with you."

I smile at him. "Thanks, Austin," I say. "But I hope you know that if you go down, you are _not_ allowed to take me with you."

He groans. "Really?" I nod my head. He leans back. "Darn it, you ruined my plan."

I gape. "What plan?"

"To blame everything on you in hopes to get out with a slightly less harsh punishment than if I took even a little bit of the blame," he explains.

"Hey!" I shout. "So much for being in this together." He just laughs at me.

We get off the bus a block away from our hotel, then quickly walk the rest of the way. Once the hotel comes into view, Austin slows his walking down. When he doesn't see the group's tour bus, he slowly approaches the window of the lobby. It must be empty because he then walks inside the building, holding the door open behind him.

We walk to the elevator quietly. I know he's on a lower floor than me, so I'm shocked when he presses my floor number instead.

I look at him. "Shouldn't you be going to your room?" I ask.

"I know, but I want to walk you to yours first," he says, swinging our intertwined hands between us.

As the elevator climbs, I say, "I have to be honest, this was probably the best day of my entire life."

He looks at me and smiles. "Me, too."

He turns to face me full-on, resting the hand that's not still in mine on my cheek, then begins to lean in. I tilt my head up towards him. I'm so caught up in Austin, though, that I don't notice the elevator has stopped on my floor and the door has opened until I hear someone clear their throat.

I back away from Austin to see Ms. Cromwell frowning at us.

* * *

"I should've known this partnership wasn't going to work out as well as I'd hoped."

Ms. Cromwell has taken Austin and I out of the elevator and we are currently standing in the hallway near my room. Austin and I are standing silently, apart from each other, while Ms. Cromwell paces back and forth in front of us.

"It wasn't Ally's fault, Ms. C, I swear," Austin says. Ms. C glares at him.

"Oh, I know it's not her fault, Austin. I'm still ashamed in the both of you, sneaking off like that."

I speak up. "I'm really sorry, Ms. Cromwell, honest. But please don't pin the blame on Austin." I pause. "It's all my fault."

She stops pacing in front of me. "What happened?" she asks, and suddenly both of us start speaking at the same time, telling similar stories, but blaming only ourselves for the trouble.

She holds up a hand to stop us. "Ah. One at a time." She looks at Austin. "Austin?"

He sighs. "It's my fault. I got bored at the museum, so I snuck off knowing Ally would come looking for me, and when she did I...I told her that if she didn't come with me, I'd tell the whole class her secret."

I gape at Austin before turning to Ms. Cromwell. "No, no, that's not true, Ms. C. Austin never blackmailed me into doing anything. I agreed to go with him around Paris. It was my idea to leave, not his."

She looks between the two of us for a minute before speaking again. "I hope you two realize that I did see what was about to happen in that elevator, right?"

I blush at her mention of our almost-kiss, but nod my head.

She continues. "I know one of you is lying to cover for the other one." She faces Austin. "I hate to say this, Mr. Moon, but I'm not surprised that this happened."

He points to himself. "Wait, so you believe me?"

She nods. "Of course. Ally's my star student, she wouldn't do such a thing like sneaking off."

"What?" I yell. "But Ms. C -"

"Enough. Nonetheless, you both did something wrong and so you shall both suffer the consequences." She looks at me first. "I really am disappointed in you, Ally. But because this is your first offence, I'm just going to take away your free time. You can spend it with me instead."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ms. C."

She nods, then turns to Austin. "As for you, Mr. Moon, this is neither the first time you've ignored the rules, nor will it be the last. I hate doing this so early in the trip, but I'm afraid I have no other choice." She pauses. "Pack you bags. I'm sending you on the next plane home."

"But Ms. Cromwell -" Austin starts.

"No buts. Now let's go, Austin." She turns away. I only get one sad glance from Austin before he turns to follow Ms. Cromwell down the hall.

Just in time, I get an idea, and quickly pull out a piece of paper from my bag and write something on it.

"Wait!" I shout, then run down the hall, tackling Austin in a hug. I turn him so that my back is to the teacher, then discreetly slide the note into his back pocket.

"Don't look at it until you're alone," I whisper.

He nods. "Okay," he replies, before lightly kissing the top of my head and walking back to the elevator. I stay and watch until the doors close, then rush back into my room.

* * *

**Huh, this was shorter than I thought.**

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Tell me in the reviews, I guess. Hopefully you don't hate it, but I probably wouldn't blame you if you do. So yeah.**


	10. Chapter 9: Do You Want Me to Stay

**Summary: "I don't want you to go, Austin." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: Wow, chapter 9. Idk what else to say other than 'here it is', so. Here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or "Sunshine & City Lights" by Greyson Chance (chapter title).**

* * *

Five minutes later, my phone rings, so I pick it up right away. The first thing I hear is, "Ally Dawson, did you really just sneak your phone number into my back pocket?" He tsks at me. "Unbelievable."

"More unbelievable than sneaking around all of Paris with you?" I reply.

"Touche." He's quiet for a second before asking, "So, why _did_ you give me your number? Well, now of all times, I mean."

I smile. "Because. We need to think of way to get you to stay on the trip."

"Missing me already, are you?" he asks.

"No," I mutter quietly.

"Fine. What's the plan?"

"Okay. Is the hallway clear outside your room?" I ask, standing up off the bed.

I hear him peek out his door. "Yeah, why?"

"Meet me by my room - but take the stairs here. It'll be quieter."

"There's stairs in this hotel?"

"They're right by the elevator," I say.

"Oh," he says. "So, do I go now, or..?"

"Now would be good, yeah."

I hear him quietly walk down the hall and to the stairs, then opening the stairwell door and head up. Eventually he reaches the top, opening the door onto my hall. I step out of my room just in time for him to reach me.

He turns off his phone. "So, any particular reason you called me up to your room at this late hour?" he asks.

"I told you, we need to think of a way to keep you on the trip."

"You sure there isn't something else you'd rather do?" he asks suggestively, slowly opening my room door and peering in.

"No," I insist, pushing his hand away and fully closing the door through. I glare at him. He just shrugs.

"What? You can't invite a guy up to your room alone in the middle of the night and _not_ expect him to think that," he says.

I shake my head. "Whatever. You're good with locks, right?" I ask.

"How'd you guess?" he asks.

"How else would you have gotten into that custodian closet in the museum?"

"Good point," he says. "Why?"

I walk down the hall until I get to the end, then point out the doorway I discovered when wandering around the hotel. "Can you unlock this?"

He shrugs, then pulls out a bobby pin from his pocket, putting it into the keyhole and jiggling the doorknob until I hear the lock click. The door swings open.

We look inside. "It's just a dark stairwell. What's so important about it?" Austin asks.

I grab the bobby pin from the lock, then take Austin's hand and pull him into the stairwell, closing the door behind us. "It's empty and quiet, that's what."

He looks up. "What's up there, anyway?"

I shrug. "I guess we're about to find out." Together, we walk up the stairs until we reach what appears to be another door. This one isn't locked, thankfully, and swings open with ease. Suddenly, we find ourselves on the roof of the hotel.

"Wow," I say to myself. "It's beautiful up here."

"Yeah," Austin breathes.

It really is breathtaking just looking at Paris, and as much as I'd love to just sit and stare at the view, I know we can't. I tug on Austin's arm as I sit along the ledge. He sits beside me.

"So," he says, placing our entwined hands on his knee. He faces me. "What are we going to do?"

I face him. "I don't know yet." I slide closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. I sigh. "Does it make sense to spend an entire day with someone you couldn't stand, and then by the end of the day you don't think you can go another second without them next to you?"

He looks down at me. "Yeah," he whispers, "I can relate."

I sit my chin on his shoulder, meeting his gaze. "I don't want you to go, Austin," I say.

He rests his forehead against mine. "I don't either."

We stay like this for a while before I decide to lean back. "We need a plan for tomorrow. When she comes to take you to the airport, we need something to happen that causes you to stay. Or a story to tell her that convinces her you'll listen. I don't know."

He nods. "A distraction might not work too well, considering she can send me home later, anyway."

"Right," I agree. I pause, thinking.

Austin speaks up. "Do you think she'd still send me home if she thought my parents weren't there?"

I think about this for a moment before responding. "I don't know. I guess it depends on how responsible she thinks you'd be by yourself."

He scoffs. "Please, she probably thinks I'd end up throwing a house party with my friends."

"Would you?"

"If by 'house party with friends' you mean 'play video games with Dez', then yes," he replies.

I shake my head. "Glad to know you're so responsible."

He laughs. "But seriously, Ally, what about it? I don't think she'd even be _allowed_ to send me home to an empty house."

I nod. "Maybe. But don't you think she'd try to get someone to watch you until your parents come back? She may end up trying to call them, too, to see if you're lying."

"I could...tell her they have no phone service where they are," he suggests. "Or call Dez and have him pretend to be my dad. It wouldn't be the first time, honestly."

"Not the first time? How often have you used Dez to pretend to be your dad?"

"Only when I get in trouble."

"What about when they have to go to the office?"

"I make an excuse. They don't have time, or phone calls are more convenient."

"Oh." I pause. "And you never get caught?"

"Nope. I don't think they can tell the difference anymore."

I nod slowly. "So your plan is to have Dez pretend to be your dad and tell Ms. C that no one will be home to watch you?" I confirm. He nods. "I don't know, Austin. Do you really think that will work?"

He shrugs. "It wouldn't hurt to try." When I continue to look unsure, he says, "Do _you_ have a better idea?"

I look away. "Not really, no."

He smiles. "Then it's settled! I can't go home because no one is there and I'm too irresponsible to be left alone."

"Whatever you say," I say. I look at him seriously. "On a serious note, though, please don't mess this up."

He looks at me. "I won't. I promise."

I grin, and together we sit silently on the roof of the hotel and watch the night sky.

* * *

The next morning, Austin meets me at my room door before Ms. Cromwell is coming to get him. We go onto the roof again to talk.

"So did you talk to Dez about your plan?" I ask.

He nods. "I called him. He said he'll be at my house to pick up the phone while my parents are working."

"How's he going to get into your house?" I ask.

"He has a key. Despite my parents thinking he'll lose it and prefer I didn't give him one, he's managed to keep it just fine."

I nod. "That's good, I guess." Looking out in the streets, I take Austin's hand. He intertwines our fingers, pulling me close and wrapping his other arm around me.

"It'll be okay," he says.

"I hope so," I mumble into his chest. I sigh. "Because I really don't want you to leave."

"Me neither." Pulling back, he looks me in the eye. "But I trust Dez, and I trust this plan." He looks at the door behind us. "Speaking of, I think it's time to go. Are you coming with me or are you going back to your room?"

I shake my head. "I'm not leaving your side."

He squeezes my hand. "Good."

* * *

"So you're telling me that your parents decided to take an unexpected trip to Denver without notifying the school?" Ms. Cromwell asks Austin while we stand in the lobby.

"They notified me," Austin says. "And I told you, Ms. C, they haven't left yet. They wanted me to tell you and then have you call them at home before they leave. Honest."

I watch Ms. C as she glares at Austin, almost like she's trying to figure out if he's really telling the truth. It should be working. If I'm being truthful, I almost believe in his story myself, and I helped come up with it.

She crosses her arms, then uncrosses them and sighs. "Fine. What's the number so I can call them?" Austin then pulls out his cellphone and pulls up his house number, handing it to Ms. C. She takes it from him, pressing call.

Someone must pick up, because she says, "Hello?" She pauses. "Yes, this is Ms. Cromwell, I'm a teacher at Marino High. I was calling to talk to you about your son. He said that you're going on a trip and won't be home until the day before he gets back from Paris?" She nods as Austin's 'dad' speaks on the other end. "Oh. I see. Would it be a problem to send Austin home alone for the rest of the trip? Maybe go with you? He hasn't been very responsible on this trip so far and -" She stops. "Oh. I see. Well, alright then, if that's how you feel. Okay, thank you. Bye." She hangs up the phone and hands it to Austin, who takes it and sticks it in his pocket.

"So, what did he say?" Austin asks slowly.

Ms. C smiles a little. "Looks like it's your lucky day, Mr. Moon. You can say."

I smile at Austin, taking his hand and squeezing it. He looks at me, beaming.

"Thank you, Ms. C," he says.

"Don't thank me," she says. "You're still in trouble. But because you can't go home, you'll have to stick by me during the trip, like Ally."

He nods. "I'm okay with that."

She smiles. "Okay. Now you guys go on up to your rooms. We'll be leaving for lunch in about an hour." She turns around and walks away. Austin and I head up to my room silently, closing the door behind us when we get there. I sit on my bed.

"Wow," I say. "She believed it." I look up at Austin. "I can't believe that actually worked."

He smiles. "Like I said, this isn't the first time Dez and I have pulled something over people. It's gotten pretty easy." Something about his casualty of this sentence bothers me, and I'm not sure what. But then I remember the little stunts between grade 3 and 7, and the paranoid part of me wonders just exactly how easy it has become for him to prank people - and what kind of pranks he pulls.

I nod. "Yeah, I guess it would," I say quietly. I look down.

Austin sits next to me, taking my hand and squeezing it lightly. "What is it?" he asks.

I look up. "What's what?" I ask.

"You sound upset," he says.

I shake my head. "Nothing. I was just thinking about something stupid, that's all."

"Remember when I said the same thing back at the restaurant before asking you to help me write a song?" I nod in response. "And look how well that turned out. So whatever you have to say that you think is stupid probably isn't that bad."

I lean back a little, avoiding his gaze. "It's just...what you said, about you and Dez pranking people all the time and it getting easier...I can't help but think -"

"What? That I'm pranking you?" he asks. I face him, nodding slowly. "How?"

I look down. "I don't know. It's just...part of me feels that something weird is up. I mean, we used to hate each other and now we're -" I stop myself, because I honestly don't know _what_ we are right now. Despite the fact he kissed me and we're holding hands, we haven't exactly had time to talk about our 'relationship' or anything.

"Wait, you think I'm pretending to like you?" When I don't respond, he lets go of my hand, standing up. "Ally, if this has anything to do with what you heard at school, I -"

I stop him. "No, Austin, it's not about that. You know I don't believe any of that stuff."

"Do you?"

"No!" I shout, standing. "It has nothing to do with that!"

"Then why do you think I'm lying to you?" he asks. "I know we haven't exactly been friends for long, but I told you before, that's not something I'd do. I don't mess with people's emotions. It's not cool."

"Really?" I ask, and suddenly I'm mad at Austin for everything he's ever done to me, or to anyone. I'm not sure why. "What about my emotions? Huh? Don't you remember what happened when we performed? I was scared out of my _mind_, Austin, but you made me sing anyway."

"I thought you were okay with it!" he says. "I only said I wanted to sing with you, but if you said no, I wouldn't have pushed it."

"Yeah, right," I mutter.

"Is it so wrong that I wanted to help you get over your stage fright?" he asks.

"Maybe you wouldn't have needed to if you hadn't caused it in the first place," I retort.

He groans. "Are you _ever_ going to let that go? We were 12!"

"So? Music is my life, Austin, and it always has been. The past four years since getting stage fright have been such a huge setback for me. I was so sure I'd never go anywhere with my music, all because you and Dez thought it'd be funny to pull a stupid prank!"

"Is that what this is about? Us pranking you?"

"I don't know what this is about, okay! I'm just...mad at you!" I shout.

He crosses his arms, turning away. "Well, if you're so mad at me, then why did you help me stay?"

"I don't know, Austin, I just did!" I reply.

"Would it have been better for me to just go, then, since you can't seem to figure anything out?" he asks.

"Maybe!" I say.

He uncrosses his arms, walking to the door. "Fine. If that's how you feel, then I guess I'll leave."

"Fine, go! See if I care." I don't watch as he walks out the door, slamming it shut. I sit on my bed, and feel tears slide down my cheeks that I didn't realize I was holding in. I wipe them away, mad at myself for crying about Austin. He's ruined some of the best things I had going for myself; why should I care about him?

Except I find myself remembering all the good things he's done for me. The song we wrote. The fun day around Paris, even if it did get us into trouble. Performing at the restaurant, no matter how scared I was. The kiss we shared on the Eiffel Tower.

Suddenly the room feels cold without him here. I feel so stupid, letting him slip away like that! I don't know what came over me during that fight, I just had so much bottled up from the past I thought I let go of.

I get up and walk to the door. As much as I hate admitting he's right, I need to apologize to him. I take the elevator to his floor, then walk to him room.

I knock on the door. "Austin?" I say. "Are you in there?" When I don't get a response, I try the doorknob. Shockingly, the door opens - into an empty room. Where's all his stuff? I'm sure this is his room.

I decide to check with Ms. Cromwell. Taking the elevator, I find her just entering the lobby from the outside doors. I walk up to her slowly.

"Ms. Cromwell?" I ask. She looks up. "Have you seem Austin anywhere? I can't find him."

"Oh, you just missed him," she says.

"Missed him? Where'd he go?" I ask.

"He didn't tell you?" I shake my head, confused. "He's going home."

* * *

**Ironic that I have a thing for writing cliffhangers when I absolutely hate reading them. Yeah...**

**Review's are pretty cool.**


	11. Chapter 10: You're The Voice I Hear

**Summary: "What I see is more than I could've ever wanted." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: So I just realized this story has over 60 reviews? Whoa. Um, thank you? I must sound awful using the question mark but I'm terrible when it comes to thanking people so let's just go with it. Oh, also, there's an important note at the end of this chapter, so make sure to read it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or "Gotta Find You" by Joe Jonas (chapter title) and "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars.**

* * *

I gape at Ms. Cromwell in utter shock. I'm sure I heard her wrong. Austin and I may have gotten in a fight and I may have told him to leave, but that doesn't mean he would really leave. Right? "I'm sorry, did you say he's -?"

She nods. "Going home, yes. Turns out, he's got a relative he thinks he can stay with until his parents get back, so he's going there."

"What?" I shout. "Bu - how come you let him leave? I thought -"

"Well, it was his idea. He thought he should take responsibility of his actions and figured it would be better to just go on home," she explains.

"But I - I didn't even get to say goodbye," I whisper.

She sighs. "I'm sorry about that. I thought you knew." She pauses, looking around the lobby before back at me. "Here. How about I get you a cab to take you to the airport? It'll be tight timing, but maybe you can make it soon enough to say goodbye."

I nod. "Okay," I say. "Thank you, Ms. Cromwell."

She smiles. "You're welcome." Turning to the door, she says, "Now, come on. Let's get you to the airport."

* * *

It's only a 15 minute drive to the airport from the hotel, but it feels like hours before I finally arrive. I pay the driver, then quickly run in. Thankfully Ms. Cromwell gave me the gate number of Austin's plane, so hopefully I can beat him there before he gets on.

I run through the crowd, searching for his number. It seems like forever until I find it. Gate 27. I walk up to the worker standing by, praying she speaks English.

"Excuse me," I ask, "but when does this plane take off?"

Thankfully, I think she understands me. She smiles. "Oh, I'm sorry, was this your flight?"

"No, why?"

"You just missed boarding," she says.

My faces falls. "What?"

She nods. "I'm sorry."

I shake my head. "It's fine. Thank you." I walk towards the window, looking at the plane Austin's on, probably without a single regret. Eventually, the plane starts up, and soon enough it's going down the runway and into the sky, out of sight.

I turn away from the window and sit on one of the chairs nearby. He's gone. He's really gone and it's all my fault. I rest my head in my hands, holding back tears. I will not cry, no matter how much I want to.

Once calmed down, if only slightly, I get up and begin walking towards the exit. On the way, I accidentally trip over someone's bag.

"Sorry," I say quietly.

"'S'okay," they reply. I walk away, ignoring the fact that their voice sounds familiar. It's probably just my emotions getting to the better of me. But I look back anyway, and what I see is more than I could've ever wanted.

"Austin?" I say. He looks up at me, surprise and glee on his face.

"Ally?" he says, and as he stands I run over to him, throwing my arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly. He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me close.

"What are you still doing here? I thought your flight left!" I say.

He pulls back, but keeps his arms around me. "I decided not to go."

I look in his eyes, and I can see there's still some hurt left in them from our fight not that long ago.

"Austin...I'm sorry about what I said," I say. "I didn't mean it."

He smiles, and the hurt disappears. "It's okay, Ally."

I shake my head. "No, it's really not. I said some awful things that I wish I could take back, but I can't."

"I get it," he says. "But don't worry, it's fine."

"But it's -" I'm cut off as Austin decides now is the best time to lean down and kiss me. I'm forced to stop speaking, but instead of pulling back, I pull him closer, deepening the kiss.

He pulls back first, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. I laugh and look down, not sure of what to say next.

"You want to know why I didn't go," Austin suddenly says.

I look up. "Kind of, yeah."

He sighs. "I realized I was wrong, and that I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you."

"And what made you realize that?" I ask quietly.

"Bruno Mars," he says.

This catches my attention. "Bruno Mars?" I ask.

"Bruno Mars," he clarifies. "You know... _too young, too dumb to realize that I should've brought you flowers and held you hand. Should've gave you all my hours when I had the chance_..." he sings.

"Oh!" I say. "Huh. Funny."

He chuckles. "A little, yeah."

We stand there for a bit, not really speaking, but it's not awkward. It's almost peaceful, in a way, minus the fact we're in the middle of an airport and there's people bustling around us loudly and the planes taking off are nowhere near considerably quiet. But right now, the only thing I'm seeing is him.

I look down, dropping my hands from around his neck. "This is going to sound really stupid, but...are we dating...or something?"

He's quiet for a moment before saying, "What makes you ask that?"

"Well, you kissed me - twice - and we kind of held hands and...yeah," I trail off, not sure of where I'm going with whatever it is I'm trying to say.

"Oh." He chuckles quietly. "I don't know," he mutters. "Do you want us to be dating?"

"I don't know," I mumble. "Do you?"

He doesn't respond for a minute and I'm starting to think that he's going to say no, but then he lightly nods his head. "Yeah, I do."

I smile. "Okay."

"Okay," he repeats. He takes my hand. "Wanna head back to the hotel now?"

I nod. Grabbing his things, we head on out of the airport.

* * *

**So I sincerely apologize for this extremely short and not that great chapter, but I didn't know what else to do? Yeah, I've got nothing.**

**NOTE: I guess I should probably say that there's only one chapter left of this story. Yep, the next chapter is the last one. Idk if this is good or bad news to you, depending on how you feel about this story (though I guess if you made it this far it's probably not good?), so yeah.**

**Reviews are pretty cool.**


	12. Chapter 11: Carry You Away From It All

**Summary: "Yeah...we have a lot to talk about." When Ally's class takes a trip to Paris, she couldn't be more excited - until she's partnered with Austin Moon.**

**A/N: So I wanted to briefly thank everyone that's been reading, reviewing, favouriting, and everything for this story. I really, really appreciate it and I really hope you're pleased with how I ended it. So, onto the last chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally, "Superhero" by Ross Lynch, or any of the songs mentioned in this story.**

* * *

The rest of the trip goes by quickly. We get to check out so many amazing places besides the museums Ms. Cromwell seems to be constantly finding. Though Austin and I lose our free time, we don't mind. We're together. Ms. C is always nearby, but we're still together.

We do still fight every so often. It's usually about little stuff, like who is right about something or what song lyric goes better with what we're writing. We're always okay in the end. A month doesn't seem like a long enough time to get close to someone, but it really is.

When it comes to the last two weeks of the trip, I have to say, they're probably the best two weeks of my life. We even get to revisit some of the places Austin and I visited on our own. Places like the Louvre and the Notre Dame and my number one favourite, the Eiffel Tower. We don't actually visit the Eiffel Tower until the day before we leave, but it's still just as amazing as I can remember.

"Remember this place?" Austin asks me quietly as we walk to the same spot we stood the first time we were here. I glance at him, raising my eyebrows. He must take this as me not understanding, because then he says, "Would a reenactment help?" and starts leaning towards me.

"Hey!" I say with a laugh, pushing him away before he gets the chance to kiss me. "I never said I didn't remember."

"Well, you never said you did," he replies.

"Fair point."

He chuckles, smiling down at me. I smile back before turning my attention to the view around us. It's not as late now as it was when we visited the first time, so we don't have to worry about getting caught or the curfew and so we can just enjoy everything.

Austin is quiet for some time before he slides his arm around my waist, pulling me close. I lean into him, but don't take my eyes away from my surroundings until he starts speaking. "I have to be honest, I did not think this trip would be as great as it turned out to be."

"Me, too," I say quietly.

"I mean, I didn't really expect to have too much fun in the first place since it's a school trip, and then when Ms. C partnered us together that first day, I almost _knew_ this would be the worst experience of my life," he explains.

"Thanks," I mutter sarcastically, lightly elbowing him.

"Hey, I wasn't finished," he protests. "As I was saying, I thought it'd be terrible. But after getting to know you, this probably - no, not probably, it _is_, most definitely, the best time I've had in my entire life," he finishes.

I smile. "Same here," I say. I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him, resting my head on his chest. He wraps his other arm around me and pulls me close, setting his chin on top of my head. When I pull back, he chuckles, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. I lean into his hand a little.

"So," I start, not quite meeting his gaze, "how about that reenactment?"

He smirks. "My pleasure," he says, before leaning down and placing his lips on mine.

* * *

The next day - the day of our departure back home - Austin pulls me away from my room while packing, his guitar strapped on his back, and leads me to the second lobby. There, he sits on the couch next to me and puts his guitar on his lap.

"What is it?" I ask.

He smirks. "I wanted to show you something," he says.

"Oh," I say. I watch him as he tunes his guitar a little. He clears his throat, then starts playing. It's a song I don't think I've heard before, and the minute he starts singing, I know it's the one he's been working on this entire trip. The first verse makes it clear it's a love song, and I can't help but blush a little as I think about who it's most likely written for.

_Sometimes love's a scary place  
__It's like standing in the dark  
__Flying through the universe  
__Try'na fix your broken heart_

_It's okay to let it go  
__You don't have to be so brave  
__Take a chance if someone else  
__Is gonna swoop in and save the day_

On the next verse, he looks down at his guitar, and as I watch him play I notice that he looks a little nervous. I don't blame him.

_You don't have to face your fears alone  
__Cause whenever you're in trouble, I'll know_

_Let me be your superhero  
__There isn't a place I won't go  
__Whenever you need me by your side  
__I'll be there, be there  
__Never be afraid if you fall  
__I'll carry you away from it all  
__Let me be your superhero  
__Let me be your superhero_

_Take off your mask, put down your guard  
__Don't need a symbol on your chest  
__It's all right for once to play  
__The damsel in distress_

_You're gonna use up all your strength  
__Try'na be so strong  
__Don't have to shoulder all the weight  
__Together we can take it on_

_You don't have to face your fears alone  
__Cause whenever you're in trouble, I'll know_

_Let me be your superhero  
__There isn't a place I won't go  
__Whenever you need me by your side  
__I'll be there, be there  
__Never be afraid if you fall  
__I'll carry you away from it all  
__Let me be your superhero  
__Let me be your superhero_

_Whoa-whoaaa-whoaaa-whoaaa  
__Let me be your superhero  
__Whoa-whoaaa-whoaaa-whoaaa_

He starts up the bridge, and as he does he looks up from his guitar to look at me. The look that he's always given me nearly every day of this trip is back once again.

_Sometimes love's a scary place  
__It's like standing in the dark  
__Flying through the universe  
__Try'na fix your broken heart  
__Yeah_

_Let me be your superhero  
__There isn't a place I won't go  
__Whenever you need me by your side  
__I'll be there, be there  
__Never be afraid if you fall  
__I'll carry you away from it all  
__Let me be your superhero  
__Let me be your superhero_

_Whoa-whoaaa-whoaaa-whoaaa  
__Yeah, I could be your superhero  
__You know I could, baby  
__Whoa-whoaaa-whoaaa-whoaaa  
__Let me be your superhero_

He stops playing. "So, he says nervously, "what'd you think?"

I nod, smiling. "That was really amazing, Austin."

He smiles. "Thanks."

"So," I say slowly, "did you write that for anyone special? Like your mom...or a girlfriend..."

He chuckles. "Didn't I tell you my mom doesn't want me focusing on music?"

"Right, right." I pause. "So how about that girlfriend?"

He looks at his guitar, strumming random chords. Not looking up, he says, "Yeah."

I smile. "Well, she's a very lucky girl," I say.

He looks up at me. "Maybe," he says. "But I like to think I'm the lucky one."

My smile grows wider, and I slide closer to him and wrap my arms around his waist. He sets his guitar down and returns the hug. "Thank you," I say. "For the song, the compliment. Everything."

"You're welcome," he replies. I look up and meet his gaze, watching as he leans down and kisses me slowly. I pull back first and lean my head on his shoulder for a few minutes.

Eventually - and unfortunately - I stand up. "Come on," I say, holding out my hand. "We should probably go finish packing." Taking my hand, he stands and follows me up to our rooms.

* * *

Finally at the airport, we board our plane home. On the plane, Austin and I are sitting together, just like on the first day. We head to our seats. I'm about to toss my bag on the rack like before, but a hand stops me. I turn to see Austin smiling down at me.

"You couldn't reach last time by doing that, could you?" he says with a laugh.

I drop my hands to my sides as he places the bag on the rack for me, smirking. "I could've done that myself just fine," I say.

He shakes his head. "Sure," he says. Looking at me, he continues with, "but don't forget, I'm your superhero. Remember?"

"Whatever," I say with a laugh. As I sit down, I continue. "Can you believe that last time we sat here, we practically hated each other?"

"Not really, considering it was a different plane and I think we were closer to the front," he replies as he sits next to me.

I roll my eyes, lightly hitting him. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah. I do," he says. He leans in close until his nose is touching mine. "I just refuse to believe it."

I smile. "Me, too," I say quietly.

"How can you refuse to believe something you just mentioned?"

"How can you refuse to believe something you know?"

"Touche," he replies, then closes the distance between us and kisses me quickly.

Once the final person gets on the plane, Ms. Cromwell begins speaking to the class.

"Well, this was certainly quite the trip," she says. "Do you think you learned anything new?" At this, most of the class raises their hand. Everyone drops their hands as she continues. "That's good to know. Now..." I zone as she continues talking, since she's mainly just reviewing the trip and some of the things relating to it that we'll learn more about when we get back. She finishes just in time, too, because once she sits down, the plane starts up.

A few minutes later, Austin pulls out his headphones along with his iPod, then holds one of the earbuds in front of me. I take it slowly, putting it in my ear.

"What are you listening to that you want me to hear?" I ask.

He puts his other earbud in his ear before responding. "Just a playlist I made."

I give him a confused glance. "A playlist?"

He nods. "Yep. You'll see." And without further explanation, he hits play. The music is louder than I'd normally have it set on, but I recognize it immediately.

"'Give Me Love' by Ed Sheeran," I say. He nods. "No offense, Austin, but, um, what sort of point are you trying to make?"

He chuckles, shaking his head. He picks up his iPod and unlocks it, then hands it to me. "Here," he says. "Scroll through the songs."

I give him one more slightly confused glance before taking it from him and looking through the songs. After 'Give Me Love', I see the song we sang when we first tried writing together - 'Let Me Go', by Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger, followed by 'Ho Hey', 'Gravity', 'When I Was Your Man', and somehow, his own song, titled 'Superhero'. After that is a bunch of random songs I've heard and loved, like 'Fall' by Serena Ryder, 'Shiver Shiver' by Walk the Moon, and many others.

I hand it back to him.

"So?" he says, taking it back.

I shake my head, trying hard not to smile. "You made a playlist of songs we sang on this trip?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah, I thought it'd be..." He trails off.

"Romantic," I finish for him. He shrugs, but isn't able to hide his blushing.

"How'd you get your song on there? You just sang it to me today," I say.

"I recorded it a couple nights ago when I first finished it," he says.

"Oh," I say. I pause before speaking again. "Okay, but what about all those other songs? The ones we never sang?"

"Oh, those ones," he says. I nod. "You sing a little when you think no one is listening. These are just some of the songs I owned already that I caught you singing," he explains. "Plus some songs you mentioned you liked and a few of my own favourites."

I stare at him wide-eyed. "Okay, I don't know what's more shocking - the fact that I sing randomly without knowing so, or the fact you listen to Walk the Moon!"

He laughs. "They're amazing! Why wouldn't I?"

"I know, right?" I agree. He smiles. "But really, Austin," I continue, "thank you. This is...really sweet of you."

He shrugs. "I try sometimes." I just laugh.

We sit together quietly, listening to the music pouring through the headphones as the plane flies. Subconsciously, I take Austin's hand sitting on the armrest beside me and intertwine our fingers, then lean my head on his shoulder and close my eyes. I don't know how much longer after he does so, but eventually I feel Austin's head lightly resting on mine. Sometime during 'Breakeven' by The Script, I drift asleep.

* * *

Austin wakes me up when we're about to land. As we get closer to home, it dawns on me how much I missed Trish and my dad when I was gone. I mean, I definitely did miss them at the beginning, but I enjoyed myself too much during most of the trip to really think about missing home.

Once we land, Austin and I grab our stuff and follow the rest of the class off the plane and to the carousel to grab our bags. While there, I spot Trish and my dad nearby. After grabbing my bags, I turn to Austin.

"I'm just gonna be over with my dad and Trish, in case you're looking for me," I say, pointing in their direction.

He nods. "Okay," he says, then leans down and quickly kisses my cheek. I can't help but grin a little before walking over to them. They don't see me right away, so I have to wave to get their attention.

"Ally!" they say together, tackling me in a hug. I drop my bags on the ground to return it.

When they pull back, Trish says, "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too!" I reply, hugging her again.

"So tell me, how many cute boys did you run into in Paris?" she asks after.

I laugh, which turns into a nervous chuckle when I realize she doesn't know about Austin and I. "Trish, you and I both know I didn't pay attention to any French boys while in Paris." American boys, however... I'll tell her soon.

"Why not? I told you to try and get me someone's number while you were there," she says.

"Well..." I start, but as I go to continue, Austin walks up next to me and puts his arm over my shoulder.

"Ready to go?" he asks. "Or should I text you later?"

Trish gives Austin a not-so-friendly glare, then turns back to me. "Um, Ally, what's _he _doing here?" she asks, not bothering to hide the appal in her voice.

I glance at Austin briefly before looking at Trish again. "Yeah...we have _a lot_ to talk about."

* * *

**So there you have it! Idk if I'm 100% okay with it, but I mean I don't think it's horrible, and I've never really written an ending to a story before besides one-shots, but that's not the same, so. But idk. Tell me what you think in the reviews! And again, thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate it. :)**


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